I LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, i 
* <%/.„/,. TTI53" * 

i — ' ' ♦ 

♦UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,* 



THE PEOPLE'S OWN 

BOOK OF RECIPES, 

AXD 

INFORMATION FOR THE MILLION. 



THE 

PEOPLE'S OWN 

BOOK OF RECIPES; 

AND 

INFORMATION FOR THE MILLION. 



CONTAINING 

DIRECTIONS FOR THE PRESERVATION OP HEALTH — FOR THE 
TREATMENT OF THE SICK, AND THE CONDUCT OF THE 
SICK-ROOM :— WITH A FULL DISCUSSION OF THE 
MORE PROMINENT DISEASES THAT AFFLICT 
THE HUMAN FAMILY, WITH FULL 
DIRECTIONS FOR THEIR RA- 
TIONAL TREATMENT. 



ALSO 



1000 PRACTICAL AND USEFUL RECIPES, 

EMBRACING EVERY DEPARTMENT OF DOMESTIC ECONOMY, AND 

HUMAN INDUSTRY ; WITH COPIOUS NOTES AND BMBN- 

DATIONS, EXPLANATORY AND SUGGESTIVE. 



COLLECTED/ COLLATED, ARRANGED AND EDITED, BT 

S. S. 8CHOFF and B. S. CASWELL, M. D. 



IPrice, Handsomely Bound in Cloth, &1.50 



C Kenosha, "Wis, 

PUBLISHED BY SCHOFF & WINEGAB, 

1S67. 






Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1867, 

by S. S. Schoff, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the 

District of Wisconsin. 



:7 



<«.**' 



PREFJACE. 

TO THE PUBLIC. 

Read this preface. In this fast age of the world, 
few people stop to read the preface to a book, but 
we insist upon our right in this instance to an in- 
troduction before we are put through the ordeal of 
scrutiny and criticism. We can better explain our 
purposes, our aims and intentions, and what we 
have striven to do for. and what we ask of, the pub- 
lic, in a few words, confidentially spoken, than this 
same public could do it for us, perhaps, after having 
made a hasty, and^ten to one, a careless examination 
of our book. 

In an editorial career of twenty years, which has 
been devoted more to the wants, wishes and demands 
of the public for whom we labored, than for the grat- 
ification of any sefish desires or the accomplishment 
of any selfish end or aim, it is safe to assume that 
we have had an opportunity to acquire some idea of 
what those wants, wishes and needs of the masses 
for whom and with whom we have so long labored, 
are. And we may also assume that such an expe- 



v { Preface. 

rience has given us a great many facts, and a great 
many items of valuable information, which brought 
together, arranged, condensed and put into conven- 
ient form for preservation, would be valuable to ev- 
erybody. For years we have been collecting and 
preserving such facts and items as seemed to us in- 
trinsically valuable, and this book, " The Peoj.rfe's 
own Book of Recipes" is the result of our labors. 

We give the work to the public, confident that, 
with all its failings and shortcomings, which owing 
to circumstances, no doubt, are many, it contains 
much practical information and many useful facts, 
that every man and woman will almost daily make 
use of. We do not claim, of course, that everything 
in this book is new or original, or something that 
nobody has heard of before, but we do claim that it 
is a compilation of a thousand useful and vain able 
things in such shape and form that every person 
may have them at his or her hand for convenient 
reference. 

" Knowledge is power." Materials lie around us 
everywhere, scattered by the hand of a wise and be- 
neficent Providence, for our profit, our enjoyment, 
and advancement in all the elements of progress and 
prosperity. All that is wanted is the knowledge to 
enable us to use those means — to utilize, as it were, 
the "raw material," for unnumbered blessings and 
conveniences. The object of the " People's Own," 
is, in a measure, to furnish that knowledge — to put 



ftpl Preface. vii 

into the hands of every person a thousand useful, 
practical facts that are always at hand just when 
they are wanted. 

There is not a man nor a woman in any condition 
of life, whatever may be his or her profession or 
calling, who will not more or less frequently be in 
want of the knowledge of the very facts we have 
here crystalized, so to speak, and rendered inde- 
structible. Our aim has been to furnish only the 
useful and practical. We have put nothing in mere- 
ly " to fill up," but have made the most of our space. 
Every item has been weighed in the balance of use- 
fulness and intrinsic value. 

Many of the recipes we give are now published 
for the first time ; they have been sold through the 
country by agents and peddlers, some of them at ex- 
orbitant prices. Others have been published in 
newspapers, which have been lost or destroyed, and 
even if preserved, can never be found when wanted. 
With the eopious and convenient index given, it is 
but the work of a moment to turn to the remedy or 
treatment of almost any accident or sudden attack of 
disease. 

In case of sudden attack of cholera, cholera mor- 
bus, or summer complaint, the first duty of course is 
to send for a physician, but in the meantime some- 
thing must be done, and with this book at hand, 
you find at once what that should be. And in ref- 
erence to this matter of cholera, there is every reason 



tm ftffaca. 

to suppose that the summer of 1867 will be charac- 
terized by a more general prevalence of the cholera 
and choleraic diseases than the last year witnessed. 
The Treatment we give is that publicly recommended 
last season by the Boards of Health of nearly overy 
large city where the cholera made its appearance. — 
"An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of 
cure,*" is a very trite maxim, but it is true and to 
the peint. This cholera treatment that we give, is 
for the most part, preventiv% 

In the newer parts of our country the great west, 
the northwest and southwest, the pioneers, the men 
who stick their stakes out into the wilderness, and 
found settlements, are liable to be bitten by rattle- 
snakes, massaugas and copperheads — the most com- 
mon of the deadly poisonous snakes of this section 
of the country. In such oases whqn a few 
hour's delay may prove fatal to some love4 
member of the family, you have here 1jfte certain rem- 
edy for immediate application. In case of bite by 
rabid dog, which is every day becoming of more fre- 
qnen t occurrence, when a few hours' delay subjects 
the sufferer to certain death by th^t most dreadful 
of all diseases, hydrophobia, you turn at once to 
your " People's Own" and find the treatment sim- 
ple end plain, that will destroy at once the deadly 
virus, and set at rest all apprehension. In case of 
accidental drowning or suspended animation from 
that cause, you have here full instructions for the 



Preface. ix 

most approved treatment, by the application of which 
many a precious life has been saved. It is one of 
the weaknesses of human nature, that we should al- 
ways provide against, that in cases of sudden emer- 
gency, when coolness and concentration are most 
needed, nine out of every ten persons are so bewil- 
dered and flustered, that they know not what they 
should do — they cannot think nor act — though un- 
der ordinary circumstances they might know what 
to do and how to do it. With this book to refer to, 
they are masters of the situation, and with its clear 
and definite instructions coolness and confidence are 
at once restored, and they proceed without doubt or 
trepidation in the discharge of the duty demanded by 
the occasion. 

The farmer's horse may be attacked by some of 
the numerous diseases that afflict this noble animal. 
In nine cases out of ten, a valuable animal may be 
saved by knowing what to do and when to do it. — 
We give certain and reliable remedies, whose effica- 
cy has been proved in numberless cases for all of the 
more fatal disorders that attack the horse. Some of 
them, men have paid $50 or $100 for, and after 
using, have declared them cheap at that. Cattle, 
sheep, hogs, and all domestic and useful animals are 
subject to disorders which are easily cured if taken 
in season, and rightly treated. We give in this 
book the most approved cures and method of treat- 

A2 



x Preface. 

jnent pursued by the most successful veterinary sur- 
geons. 

The mechanic and artisan will find in these pages 
a thousand facts and items of information especially 
adapted to their business and profession, and which 
will perforce, when once known, be brought into 
daily use, and made valuable and remunerative. 

In the household — in a thousand little things that 
contribute so largely, in the aggregate, to our health, 
happiness, enjoyment, convenience and success in 
life — these pages will' be most consulted, and there- 
fore most valuable. Without casting any reflections 
upon anybody, it is certain that the science and art 
of housekeeping with its onerous duties and respons- 
ibilities, were never so much neglected as at the 
present day. With housekeeping, as it used to be 
with farming, it seems to be supposed that the 
knowledge of its duties and requirements will come 
of itself or by intuit i • . While years of study and 
practice with high salaried teachers, are devoted to 
learning to play on the piano, which in ninety-nine 
cases out of a hundred will result only in the means 
of a few years' or a few months', perhaps, pastime, 
no time nor teaching is given to what is really and 
inevitably the occupation of a lifetime. We state 
these facts with no intention of criticising or com- 
plaining, but merely to show the help that such a 
book as this must necessarily be in every household. 
Here is the knowledge ready prepared for the house- 



Preface. xi 

keeper, for constant reference, that could only be ob- 

Another feature of this work to which we wish to 
call attention, is the running comment on almost ev- 
ery recipe, and every subject introduced. Much in- 
formation and many useful facts are given in the 
comments that could not be given in the form of a 
recipe. These portions are printed in large type, 
and leaded, in order to show the reader at a glance 
if looking for a recipe* where it may be found. Our 
advice to every one is, read the comment before at- 
tempting to use the recipe, and thus learn all about 
it. 

In conclusion we can only say to the purchaser of 
our book ; we have done our best to give you the 
worth of your money. And we have the confidence 
to believe that we have done it. We declare it as 
our conviction that no man nor woraan, no matter 
what his or her station or circumstances in life may 
be, will buy " The Peoples Own," without getting 
more than its cost out of it. 



INDEX. 



ART of Catching Fish, 

Apple butter,substitute for 
Asthma, symptoms and remedies, 

Apple custard, 

Acute catarrh, 

Artificial rubies, 

Ivory, 

Ants, to exterminate red 

Apples, ho v.- to keep 

Apple Jonathan 

Apple snow, to make, 

Apple biscuit, 

Asparagus loaves, 

Apple jelly, 

BISCUIT, Light, Bread 

Buua, Light— Hot Cross 

Buckwheat Cakes 

Broken Cakes, use for 

Blacking, oil paste 

Premium 

Bleaching, liquid 

Bed bug poison, 

Beer, medicinal root — white spruce, 
Common small — cream — ginger- 
Root, cheap 

Barley water .... .... 

Burns, remedies for, 

and scalds, remedy, 

Barrels, new oak, to prevent coloring, 

Beef, best method to keep, 

Boiling meats, hew it should be done, 
how to boil fish, 

British oil, how made, 

Blackberry nummerry, 

Blackberry cordial, beverage, 

Breakfast dish, 

Bleeding, to stop, 

Bruises, how to treat 

Butter, 

Rules for making good, 

to sweeten rancid — to preserve 

Bronchitis, remedies for, 

Broken bones, how to set, 

Bees, wintering, &c. 



mperance 



Into, 



XUl 



Beeswax, to prepare, 

Buckwheat, harvesting — flour, 
Bread, steamed brown, 

Pumpkin — rice — cream of tartar, 

Sour milk — graham — potato, 

To make good 

Graham — steamed, corn, 

Rye and indian, 

Biscuit, sponge; tea, .... 

Light ; bread, 

Good, 

Buns, to make, 

Balm of a thousand flowers, 

Balsam, genuine healing, 

Blanc mange, 

Burns, sure remedy for, 

Blood, to stop the flow of, 

Bots in horses, remedy for, 

Bosoms and collars, 

Brass coating, .... 

Burning fluid, to make, 

Bugs, dead shot for, 

How to cheat, 

Bronzing, 



CAKE, lemon tea — old fashioned short cake, 

Rice breakfast, 

Breakfast, 

Indian corn, 

Rich tea — sponge — wonders, 

Wedding — breakfast — nice pound — i 
delicate — drop — queen, 

Composition — coffee — doughnuts — gold- 
cm — snow — silver, .... 

German tea— mountain— corn starch— dessert— scald- 
ed ginger — tea— pound — fruit — sponge, 

Silver — gold — almond cheese — economy, 

Union— jelly— huckleberry giiddle— potato griddle- 
Crisp ginger, 

Cream of tartar ; r*^, puff; soft sorghum, 

Curry powders, to make, 

Corn dodgers, 

Crackers, butter, &c, 

Chicken corn pie, 

Crullers, corn meal, 

Chowder, fish, to make, 

Chicken salad, to make, 

and turkey patties, to make, 

Codfish balls, to make, 

Chickens, best way to cook .... 

Cookiag without milk, 

Coffee, to settle, 

Cookies, molasses — ginger — telegraph, 
Cast iron utensils, to enamel, 

Articles to tin, 



cup — bride's — 
loaf— lem- 



xiv Index. 

Cider, how to make good, 812 

Substitute for 43 

Cream, substitute for — scalded, 320 

Cold, 323 

Cherry-tree cum cement, 323 

Cologne, Eau de, how to make, 323 

Currants, to preserve, 331 

Citron melon, to preserve, 333 

Citron preserves, 334 

Currant jelly without cooking, 336 

Jam, 339 

Crab apple jelly, 338 

Cocoanutpie, 203 

Custard, apple, 203 

Rice — baked— boiled— golden — cream — common, 205 

Oatmeal, 342 

M. Soyer's, 379 

Canary birds, te clean, 323 

Cheese, how to make, 207 

Coloring, 208 

Catsup, walnat, 209 

Plum, 379 

Tomato, 380 

Cloth, to make water-proof, 216 

Cloths, to revive faded black, 247 

Catarrh, how to treat, 217 

Acute, 218 

Catarrh snuff, 73 

Corns, how to remove, 218 

Colic, ; 13S 

Bilious, how to treat, 225 

In horses, to cure, 228 

Another cure, 394 

Convulsious, treatment of, 399 

Cattle, to relieve when choked, 233 . 

Hollow horn in, to cure, 283 

Bloody murrain in, treatment for, 234 

Texas or Spanish fever, ' 234 

Lo*s of cud — rinderpest, 235 

Warts ou, 185 

Calves, to cure scours in, • 233 

to fatten, 185 

Cement, diamond, 240 

to mend crockery ; for stone ; boilers ; rubber ; for 
Petroleum stills; for attaching wood ornaments; 

for leather belts ; for brick walls, 242 

For rooms ; white cement ; liquid cement, 343 

For Crockery, &c, 62 

For Leather, 63 

For earthenware, 390 

Japanese, • 403 

Cental system of measuring grain, 33g 

Wheat, corn, rye, 3VI7 

Barley and oats, 39q 



Index. 



xv 



Conying machine, substitute for, 

Cofiee sj up, make; 

Cream Cakes, Boston, 

Chafing, to prevent, 

Cracks in wooden furniture, to fill up 
Chimneys, to prevent soot in, 

to extinguish burning, 

Camphor storm-glass, ... 7 

Camphor, its uses, 

Liniments, 

Embrocation, 

Corn, to measure in the crib, 

How to pop, 

Pop corn bails, 

Cholera, its treatment, 

Cause and Symptoms, — 

Course of treatment, 

Collapse, treatment, — 

Dr. lire's remedy, 

Chilblain lotion, " 

Catching fish, secret art of, .... 

Consumption, .... 

Consumptives, hints to, 

Cough syrups, .... , 

Cough drops for children, 

Cold and cough balsam, 

Collodion, to make, .... 

Cure for snake and insect poison, 

Cream soda, 

Chapped hands, 

Costiveness, remedies for, 

Croup, 

Cancer, 

Remedies for, 

Cold, intense, freezing, remedy for, 
Cows, points of excellence in, .... 
DETECTOR for counterfeit gold and sib 

Dogs, treatment of, 

Dyspepsia, 

Dysentery, 

Cure for, 

Diabetes, 

Diptheria, 

Dropsy, 

Drowning, how to resuscitate, 

Drunkeness, 

Dislocated limbs, 

Drinks for the sick, 

Dye stains, to clean the hands from 

Dyeing, 

Diarrhoea, remedies for, 

and cholera syrup, .... 

Tincture, 
Diptheria, cure for, 



XT! 



Into. 



Dresses, to make fire proof, 

Dumplings, potato ; egg ; baked apple 

Doughnuts, 

Dried fruit, to protect worms from, 
Dry feet, how to have, .... 

Drawn butter, 

Drink, pleasant evening, 

EGGS, how to keep, 

Substitute for, 

Artificial nest, 

Epilepsy, remedies and treatment, . 

Erysipelas and its remedies, 

Ear-ache, cause and treatment, 

Remedy for, 

Eyes, sore and inflamed, 

Eating and drinking, remarks on, 

Egg puffs, to make, 

Egg plant, to cook, 

To fry, 

Eggs, pickled, .... .... 

FRECKLE lotion, 

Fellons, remedies for, 

Lobelia cure, ox-marrow cure, 

Feionifuge, to cure fellons, 
Fever, remarks on, 

Prescriptions for, .... 

Dr. Bach's treatment of, 

Continued and inflammatory, 

Yellow ; scarlet, 

Typhus and typhoid, 

Bilious treatment, 

Fever and ague, treatment for, 

Prescription for, 
Fruit, to preserve fresh, .... 

Fence posts, how to place, 
Floating island, .... 

Fainting from loss of blood, 
Furniture, imitation mahogany. 

Rosewood, imitation ; oil-finished 

Varnish for, 

To fill season cracks in, .... 

Faded paint, to renew, 

Flies, how to destroj', 

Flies and insects, to get rid of, 
Fruit trees, to destroy insects upon, 
Fruits, to pack for transportation, . . 
Fence posts, to prevent from decayin 

Flowers, to extract odor of, 

Float, how to make, 

Florentines, to make, , 

Fritters, how to make, 

Frosting for cakes, 

Fish, to boil, 

Food for infants, Prof. Leibig's, 
Fire kindlers, to make, 



to 



stai 



Index, 



xva 



GL.UE* Drepare€, 6ti 

Marine, for wood * 241 

Glass bottles, &c, to clean, '" 71 

Glass, to cut, 238 

Gall stones, to remove, 72 

Grapes, to keep, ... ' 83 

Garden walks, water and weed proof, " 252 

To kill weeds in, .... 252 

Grease spots, to remove froru woolens, ..." 257 

To extract from cloths, ... 203 

l^alls, to make, ..." 408 

Graphs, to preserve ; French method, " 285 

Gimr^r, imitation preserved, 318 

Gelatine, soap, "' 322 

Gooseberry fool, ........ 341 

Green corn stew, 353 

To preserve for winter, " .,.."'"' 354 

Ginger snaps, 379 

Gruel, Indian meal, to make, ' 407 

Goose, to roast, ........ 382 

HAM, how to cook, 38O 

Headache ; sick headache, .... .... 31 

Headache Lotion ; headache drops, " 32 

Hair restorative, " 33 

Dye ; Columbian dye, "*' 39 

Invigorator, " 35 

To remove superfluous ; rose oil ; " 38 

Wash ; oil, 34 

Hungarian oil ; pomatums for ; to prevent falling out, 40 

Hair brushes, to clean, 41 

I ) ot drops, genuine, 58 

Horses, Baulky, / 46 

Blanketing in winter, 187 

Hunter's secret, " 69 

Harvest drinks, 75 

How to get rich, 88 

Honey, to make artificial, 92 

"To make Cuba, 93 

Artificial clover, 94 

Hvdrophobia, remarks on, 97 

Treatment of, 99 

Saxon remedy ; Grecian remed3 r , 100 

Youatt's remedy, ... 102 

German remedy, 103 

Syrian remedy, ' 227 

Heartburn, how to treat, 138 

Hooping Cough, general remarks, 142 

Treatment and remedies, 149 

Hanging, what to do in case of accidental, 169 

Hay, clover, 191 

Hick's ointment, 219 

Hive syrup for croup, 226 

Horses, mash for, 224 

Cure for scratches in , 227 

Colic in ; to cijre baulky, ........ 2iJS 



x Y iii index. 

Stables for, how to build, 228 

to prevent flies from teasing ; ringbone and spavin cure, 229 

Bone spavin remedy, 229 

Norwegian bone spavin remedy, ; spavin cure ; poll 

evil remedies, 230 

Sloan's ointment ; condition powders ; cure for bots, 231 

Heaves, remedies ; founder, remedies, 232 

To tell age of by the teeth ; when unsound, , 288 

Physicfor, . "".... 233 

Hog cholera, cure for, — .... 236 

Trichina 1 , remedy and preventives, 235 

Sore throat in, remedy, 336 

Hop lice, to destroy, English remedy, 254 

Harlaem oil, to make, 268 

Hearth-rug, to make, 271 

Hens, to make lay in winter, 287 

Harvest field, drinks for, 315 

Hot rolls, 345 

Horse radish sauce, — 362 

Hams, to cure and keep, three methods, 260 

Hair wash, camphorated, — ••• 401 

Hands, cure for chapped ; to make white 407 

INK, black writing ; invisible, 45 

Blue ; red ; indexible, .... •••• •••. 56 

Indcllible for cloth ; superior black writing, ... 57 

Sympathetic and invisible, ... 303 

Ice cream, farmer's ; whipped ; Philadelphia, .... .... 64 

Infallible, Remedy, remarks on, 65 

Influenza, treatment of, 150 

Itch, cause and cure, 157 

Ivory, artificial, '' 239 

Iron'rust, to remove from white stuff, 256 

ink spots, to remove, 257 

Insects, to destroy with oil, 258 

Parasites, how to destroy 264 

Impromptu ice pitcher, 271 

Irish stew, 407 

JAUNDICE, treatment of, .... 141 

Johnny cake, superior, 196 

Wedding, 355 

Japan for tin, 269 

Tortoise shell , painting on, 275 

Jellies, red currant ; currant, without cooking ; strawberry, 336 

Blackberry ; apple, 337 

Dried apple ; lemon ; crab apple, 338 

Jams, currant ; pine apple ; strawberry, ... 339 

KID gloves, to clean, 69 

To color, 70 

Kid leather, to prepare, 273 

LIVER complaint, causes and cure, 142 

Remedies for, 143 

Liniment, celebrated Mustang, 220 

Ladies' dresses, to make fire proof, 247 

Lard, to harden for candles, 249 



Index. xix 

Lard, to purify ranci<f, 258 

Leather, for the preservation of, 256 

To make kid, 273 

To make patent, 274 

Lacker, gold colored, for tin, 269 

Lime water, to make, 302 

For bread, instead of soda, 342 

Lemonade, pocket, — 316 

MATCHES, how to make, 58 

Moths, to protect clothing from, — 67 

To protect fnrs from, 263 

Russian antidote for, 322 

Milk, to preserve, 77 

Powder of, 215 

Mosquitoes, to clear a room of, 88 

Measles, treatment of, 117 

Mumps, treatment of, ... 131 

Molasses, to improve the taste, 206 

Meat, how to keep sweet, 207 

Medicine, remarks on taking, 209 

Meat, how to cure, 258 

Muriate of tin, to make, 302 

Muffins, to make, 348 

Water ; Rory O'Moore, 349 

Mince meat for pies, 362 

Measuring, convenient rules for, 394 

To measure wheat in the bin, 394 

hay in the mow, 272 

grain on the floor ; logs ; cisterns ; w't of cattle 395 

corn in the crib, 271 

Mint sauce, to make, 405 

NETTLE rash, how to treat, 134 

Nets, sails, &c, to tan, 275 

Nails, size of, 386 

ONIONS, how to cook, 78 

Onion fly, to destroy, 255 

Ostrich feathers, to clean, 302 

Oysters, mock ; artificial , 352 

Scalloped, 35 * 

Vegetable, how to cook, 353 

Toast, 357 

To fry, 405 

Omelet, asparagus, 357 

Oyster, 405 

POMATUM, ox marrow, .... 37 

Pictures, to transfer from paper to wood, 43 

Polishing powder, 64 

Paint, cheap, to make, 70 

To remove the smell of, 124 

Painting on glass, 118 

Patent gold and silver counterfeit detector, 119 

Paste that will keep, 120 

Convenient, to make, 244 

For razor strops, 405 



XX 



Index* 



Piles, classified, and ftjiuarks on, 128 

Remedies for, and treatment, 129 

Poison, treatment and remedies, 174 

Remedies for different kinds of, 176 

Pork, how to cut and trim, 184 

Potatoes, boiled for milch cows, 190 

Parlors, sunshine in, 190 

Pastry, remarks on, 196 

Pudding bags, and how to boil puddings, 19S 

Puddings, rice with fruit; mother Eve's; bread; boiled bread, 199 
Plum; our plum; compound do.; sago; hasty, .... 200 
Cottage; sponge; cream; cracker; fruit; brown bat- 
ter; lemon; rice, 201 

Dandy; English plum; corn meal; fig; bird's nest; 

boiled batter; Nottingham; Eve's, 203 

Quaking plum; baked Indian; wedding-cake; Salem, 204 

Cottage No. 2; good Christmas; telegraph plum; 307 

Citron; poor man's; thanksgiving; Christmas without 

eggs; green corn, 368 

Queen; Victoria; fruit; blackberry; baked Indian No. 2 3(39 

Chicken; steamboat; cheap; batter; quick, 3T0 

Farmer's Indian; baked apple, 371 

Pie, Mrs. B's lemon; cocoanut, 203 

Potato lemon, 371 

Pumpkin and squash without milk, 364 

Custard without milk; mince; pineapple; pumpkin; 

N. E. pumpkin 365 

Delicious lemon; strawberry; cream; Nos.l and2vin- 

cgar; cracker, 366 

Preserves, remarks on making, 205 

Preserving .fruit, 3:24 

Bottles and cans for, 325 

Wax for sealing; cooking vessel, 326 

Selecting and preparing fruit, 327 

Bottling, 329 

Tomatoes do. without sugar, 330 

Green tomato; tomato fig; currants; pear, 331 

Peaeh; grapes citronized, 332 

Watermelon rinds; citron melon, • 333 

Citron; strawberries without sugar; plums; raspberry 334 

Whortleberries; pine apple, 335 

Grape, how to make, 406 

Pencil writing, to make indellible, 216 

Painkiller, simple, 219 

Telegraph, ^ 220 

Magic, :J84 

Good Samaritan, 399 

Photographs or lithographs, to change into 9il paintings on 

glass. ■' 250 

Plaster, green mountain, 267 

Potatoes, to preserve from sprouting, . 282 

How to have mealy, 3 methods, 283 

Perfume for the handkerchief, 320 

Preserves, jams &c. to keep, 339 

Puff paste, 342 



Index. xxi 

Pie crust, to m<ake a healthy, 341 

Peas, how to cook, 361 

Potato stew, 301 

Potatoes, baked, 372 

Peaches, sweet pickled, 363 

Pork sausages, 364 

Paper, to make fire proof, 403 

RHEUMATIC liniment, 50 

Rice, to make bread of, 85 

Jelly for the sick, 86 

Southern mode of cooking- 382 

Rheumatism, nervous, fidget? .> 158 

Liniment for, 219 

Rheumatic liquid, 317 

Rinderpest preventive, ' 235 

Rubies, artificial, 23'.* 

Rat Exterminators— to drive away, '. "254 

Ribbons, how to clean, 258 

Rhubarb Cordial, 307 

Raspberry Shrub, 316 

Roses, tincture of, 320 

Rose water, to make, 321 

Rusk, sweet, egg-, 850 

Russian bear, 381 

Razor paste, 408 

SHAMPOOING mixture, * 36 

Shampooing compound, 3? 

Stimulating Onguent, 46 

Silver Humbug, 46 

Starch polish, 49 

Silver plating fluid, 57 

Soap, French chemical; shaving, 59 

Shaving oil, . ... 59 

Soldering fluid, 62 

Silver solution, 68 

Salve, black, to make 72 

jste Green; sticking, 227 

Conklin's celebrated, 267 

Silk, to restore faded, 84 

Stye on the eyelid, 86 

Sick person, how to hold, 8*5 

Salivation, remarks on, 133 

Small pox, treatment, 155 

Scrofula, treatment and remedies, 159 

Scurvy, " " •« »^> 

Suffocation, 1 reatment or, .■*■*" 

Sheep, now to treat, lbt» 

Stables, how they should be built 188 

Sausage how to make them, 188 

Sauce for puddings, 199 

Excellent, '" . 301 

■Mrs. B\s loam, 202 

Salli-e's vinegar; very rich; white 203 

Poor man's puddins. 368 

Staffing, ite r r0 ast fowls, 207 



XX11 



Index, 



Sick room, how to ventilate, — 212 

Stuttering, how to cure, 212 

Solvents for gum shellac, » 238 

Storm glass, to make, 244 

Starch, to make colored, 247 

Shingles, to make fire proof, 248 

Stoves and pipes, care of, 248 

Serpent's eggs, substitute for Pharaoh's, 270 

Squash, to bake, 271 

Spinach, how to cook, 372 

Sympathetic and invisible inks, 304 

Skins, to cure lamb, 273 

to tan fur, 273 

Shoes, how to make water-tight, 278 

Preparation for 6oles and uppers, 278 

to attach gutta percha soles, 279 

to make soles water proof , 0-9 

Varnish for, 279 

How to take measure for ; to clean, 281 

Sweet potatoes, how to transplant, 284 

How to keep all winter, 284 

Scarlet flannel, to wash, 303 

Soap, to refine, 303 

Sympathetic and invisible inks, 303 

Syrup, diamond, to make, 316 

Sherbet, Persian, to make, 317 

Soda, cream, to make, 317 

Strawberry cream, 340 

Sorghum apple sauce, 342 

Shortcake, strawberry, 347 

Raspberry, 348 

Shad, how to bake, 359 

Strawberry dumpling, 361 

Seup, Prof. Liebig's, 361 

From mince pie meat ; dry bean, 362 

Spavin liniment, ($50 recipe,) 393 

Syrup, how to make, 396 

Sticking plaster, nonpareil, 400 

Salve for the lips. 400 

Sun-stroke, how to treat, 408 

TOOTH paste, 402 

Tooth ache, magic drops for, 41 

Balsam, 402 

Tooth powder, 41 

Antiseptic, 402 

Transparent soap, to make, 47 

Turkish rouge, to make, 60 

Toast water ; tea ; slippery elm, 180 

Tea, lemon ; flax seed ; beef, 181 

Teeth, how to fasten loose, 220 

Trichinae preventive, 235 

Timber, to preserve, 244 

Time to cut, 286 

Tires, to keep on wheels, 248 

Tripe, how to clean, . . , « 261 



Index* 



xxm 



Tripe, to prepare for the table, . , 382 

Tea, how to make, 323 

Toast, to make savory, 855 

Tomatoes, sweet pickled, 363 

Baked, 371 

Tea crackers, 377 

Tongue toast, 405 

VANILLA, extract of, Gl 

Vaifcish for leather, 63 

to prevent iron from rusting, 83 

For shoes, 279 

For rough work ; for tools, 83 

For wood patterns, 245 

For iron work ; crystal, ■. 346 

For grates, &c, 84 

Ventillation, necessity for, 165 

Vinegar, cheap way to make, 214 

Vegetable materia medica ; alder ; arbor vitae", angelica; 
Arnica ; prickly ash ; balm of Gileadbuds ; balmony ; 

balsam fir ; barberry, 387 

Baybeny ; both root ; blackberry ; blue flag ; boneset; 
burdock; cayenne; clematis; convolvulus; catnip; 

chamomile ; wild black cherry, 888 

Cancer root ; cleavers; comfrey ; coltsfoot; dandelion; 
dogwood ; elecampane ; evan root ; ginseng ; gold 

thread ; golden seal ; golden rod : gum myrrh, 389 

Hemlock, hoarhound ; Indian turnip ; ladies' slipper, 

lily ; lobelia, 890 

Mayweed ; marsh rosemary ; motherwort ; mullen ; 
pennyroyal ; peppermint ; plantain ; poplar ; skull- 
cap, 391 

Sage; saffron; sassafras ; skunk cabbage ; smart weed; 
spearmint ; sumach ; slippery elm ; sweet flag ; Vir- 
ginia snake root, unicorn, 392 

Valerian ; wintergreen ; witch hazel ; wormwood ; 

yarrow, 393 

WART and corn salve, 44 

Washing compound, London, 47 

Washing fluid, 48 

Wash for the face, " gj 

Wash balls for the"toilet, 402 

Wash for fences, ' " 79 

Whitewash, to make, , 79 

President's house, " gj 

Water, to soften hard, i-io 

To find, "" i§| 

Worms, symptoms, 244 

Remedies for, * " 145 

Tape worm, cure for, " ^45 

Wounds, how to treat ; of large vessels, " * ' 010 

Win«*, domestic, '" ... 304 

Pieplant ; currant " 397 

Blackberry, to make, four ways, . . 80S 

Compound, '"' 3^9 

Black currant ; apple cider, , , , , *, ^ " • ' * 3x6 



sxiv Index. 

Ginger, two methods, ... . .... 511 

Grape, bow to make, 313 

Strawberry, 915 

Warts, to remove, 322 

Waffles, with yeasf, 348 

Welsh rarebit, '864 

YEAST, to make, 78 

Good potato, 306 



HOUSEHOLD RECIPES. 



Cholera — Remedies and Treatment. 

Of course we do not propose to offer a recipe for 
the cure of Cholera. It is a Disease that demands 
the highest skill of the faculty ; yet it is a disease 
that often does its work of death so suddenly that 
an hour or two, and sometimes even half an hour, 
consumed in sending for the doctor, is fatal to the 
patient. The treatment and remedies recommended 
in the following card from that eminent christian 
Missionary, Dr. Hamlin, who was for several years 
a Missionary at Constantinople, and whose experi- 
ence in treating cholera extended through three vis- 
itations of that disease in Turkey has been approv- 
by so many eminent physicians and Boards of Health 
everywhere, that we are confident that it cannot but 
be of incalculable advantage to have it preserved in 
this form in every household. 

DR. HAMLIN'S LETTER. 

Dear sir : The cholera, which has just left ue, after commit- 
ing fearful ravages, is making its way into Europe and will proba- 
bly cross the Atlantic before another steamw has pa*t«L 
B 



26 Cholera. Eemedies and Treatment. 

Having been providentially compelled to have a good degree of 
practical acquaintance with it, and to see it in all its forms and 
stages during each of its invasions of Constantinople, I wish to 
malce to my'friends in Maine some suggestions which may re- 
lieve anxiety or be of practical use. 

1. On the approach of cholera every family should be prepared 
to treat it without waiting for a physician. It does its work so 
expeditiously that, while you are waiting for the doctor the work 
is done. 

2. If you prepare for it, it will not come. I think there is no 
disease which may be avoided with so much certainty as the chol- 
era. But providential circumstances, or the thoughtless indis- 
cretions of some member of a household, may invite the attack, 
and the challenge will never be refused. It will probably be 
made in the night, your physician has been called in another di- 
rection, and you must treat the case yourself or it will be fatal. 

CAUSE AND SYMPTOMS. 

3. Cause of attack.— 1 have personally investigated at least a 
hundred cases, and not less than three-fourths could be traced di- 
rectly to improper diet, or to intoxicating drinks, or to both uni- 
ted. Of the remainder, suppressed perspiration would comprise 
a large number. A strong, healthy, temperate laboring man 
had a severe attack of cholera, and after the clanger was passed I 
was curious to ascertain the cause. He had been cautious and 
prudent in his diet. He used nothing intoxicating. His residence 
was in a good locality. But after some hours of hard labor and 
v»ry profuse perspiration he had lain down to take his customary 
nap, right against an open window, through which a very re- 
freshing breeze was blowing. Another cause is drinking largely 
of cold water when hot and thirsty. Great fatigue, great axniety, 
fright, fear, all figure among inciting causes. If one can avoid 
alf these he is safe from the cholera as from being swept away by 
a comet. 

4. Symptoms of an Attack. — While cholera is prevalent in a 
place, almost every one experiences more or less disturbance of 
digestion. It is doubtless in part imaginary. Every one notices 
the slightest variation of feeling, and this gives an importance 
to mere trifles. There are often a slight nausea, or transient pains 
or rumbling sounds when no attack^follows. No one is entirely 
free from these. But when diarrhoea commences, though painless 
and slight, it is really the skirmishing party of the advancing col- 
umn. ^Lt will have at first no single character of Asiatic cholera. 
But do not be deceived. It is the cholera nevertheless. Wait a 
little; give it time to get hold, and say to yonrself, " I feel per- 
fectly well, it will soon pass off," and in a short time you will re- 
pent of your folly in vain. I have seen many a one commit sui- 
cide in this way. 

Sometimes, though rarely, the attack commences with vomit- 
ing. But in whatever way it commences it it is sure to hold on. 
In a very few hours the patient may sink into the collapse. The 
hands and feet become cold and purplish, the countenance at first 
nervous and anxious, becomes gloomy and apathetic, although a 
mental restlessness and raging; thirst torments the sufferer while 
the powers of life are ebbing. The intellect remains clear, but all 



Oholera, Bemediea and Treatment, 27 

the social and moral feelings seem wonderfully to collapse with 
the physical powers. The patient knows he is to die, but cares 
not a snap about it. 

In some cases, though rarely, the diarrhoea continues for a day 
or two, and the foolish person keeps about, then suddenly sinks 
sends for a physician, and before he arrives "dies as the foof 
dieth." 

COURSE OF TREATMENT. 

1. For Stopping the Incipient Diarrhoea. — The mixture which I 
used in 1848 with great success, and again in 1855, has during the 
epidemic been used by thousands, although the attacks have been 
more sudden and violent, it has fully established its reputation 
for efficiency and perfect safety. It consists of equal parts by 
measure, of laudanum, spirits of camphor, and tincture of rhubarb. 
Thirty drops for an adult, on a lump of sugar, will often check the 
diarrhoea. But, to prevent its return, care should always be taken 
to continue the medicine every four hours in diminishing doses — 
twenty-five, fifteen, ten, nine, — when careful diet is all that will 
be needed. 

In case the first does not stay the diarrhoea, continue to give in- 
creasing doses — thirty-five, forty, forty-five, sixty — at every move- 
ment ot the bowels. Large doses will produce no injury while 
the diarrhoea lasts. When that is checked then is the time for 
caution. I have never seen a case of diarrhoea taken in season 
which was not thus controlled, but some cases of advacned diar- 
rhoea, and especially a relapse, paid no heed to it whatever. As 
soon as this becomes apparent I have always resorted to this 
course : Prepare a teacup of starch boiled as for use in starching 
linen, and stir into it a full teaspoonful of laudanum for an inject 
tion. Give one third at each movement of the bowels. In one 
desperate case, abandoned as hopeless by a physician, I could not 
stop the diarrhoea until the seventh injection, which contained 
nearly a teaspoonful of laudanum. The patient recovered, and is 
in perfect health. At the same time I used prepared chalk in ten- 
grain doses, with a few drops of laudanum and camphor to each. 
But whatever course is pursued, it must be followed up or the pa- 
tient is lost. 

1. Mustard poultices. — These should be applied to the pit of the 
stomach and kept on till the surface is well reddened. 

3. The patient, however well he may feel, should rigidly observe 
perfect rest. To lie quietly on the back is one-half of the battle. 
In that position the enemy fires over you, but the moment you 
rise you are hit. 

When attack comes in the form of a diarrhoea these directions 
will enable every one to meet it successfully. 

4. But when the attack is more violent, and there is vomiting, 
or vomiting and purging, perhaps also cramps and colic pains, the 
following mixtiire is far more effective, and should always be re- 
sorted to: The missionaries — Messrs. Long, Trowbridge and 
Washburn — have used it in very many cases, and with wonderful 
success. It consists of equal parts of laudanum, tincture of cap- 
sicum, tincture of ginger, and tincture of cardamon seeds. Dose, 
thirty to forty drops, or a half teaspoonful in a little water, and 
to be increased according to the urgency of the caw- In case the 



28 Cholera, Kemediea and Treatment. 

first dose should be ejected, the second, which should stand ready, 
should be given immediately after the spasm of vomiting has 
ceased. During the late cholera seige, no one of us failed or con- 
trolling the vomiting, and also the purging, by, at most, the third 
dose. We have, however, made use of large mustard poultices, 
of strong, pure mustard, applied to the stomach, bowels, calves 
of the legs, feet, &c, as the case seemed to require. 

TREATMENT OF COLLAPSE. 

Collapse. — This is simply an advanced stage of the disease. It 
indicates the gradual failing of all the powers of life. It is diffi- 
cult to say when a case becomes hopeless. At a certain point the 
body of the patient begins to emit a peculiar odor, which I call 
the death odor, for when that has become decided and unmistak- 
able I have never known the patient to recover. I have repeat- 
edly worked on such cases for hours, with no permanent result. 
But the blue color, the cold extremities, the deeply-sunken eye, 
the vanishing pulse, are no signs that the case is hopeless. Scores 
of such cases in the recent epidemic have recovered. In addition 
to the second mixture, brandy (a tablespoonful every half hour), 
bottles of hot water surrounding the patient, especially the ex- 
tremities, sinapisms, and friction, will often, in an hour or two, 
work wonders. 

Thirst. — In these, and in all advanced cases, thirst creates in- 
tense suffering. The sufferer craves water, and as soon as he grat- 
ifies the craving, the worst symptoms return, and he falls a vic- 
tim to the transient gratification. The only safe way is to have 
a faithful friend or attendant who will not heed his entreaties. — 
The suffering may be, however, safely alleviated and rendered en- 
durable. Frequent gargling the throat and washing out the 
mouth will bring some relief. A spoonful of gum arabic water 
or of camomile tea may frequently be given to wet the throat. — 
Lyndenham's White Decoction may also be given, both as a bev- 
erage and nourishment, in small quantities, frequently. In a day 
or two the suffering from thirst will cease. In a large majority 
of cases it has not been intense for more than twenty-four hours. 

Diet. — Rice water, arrowroot. Lyndenham's White Decoction, 
crust water, camomile tea, are the best articles for a day or two 
after the attack is controlled. Camomile is very valuable in re- 
storing the tone of the stomach. 

The Typhoid Fever. — A typhoid state for a few days will follow 
all severe cases. There is nothing alarming in this. It has very 
rarely proved fatal. Patience and careful nursing will bring it all 
right. The greatest danger is from drinking too freely. When 
the patient seemed to be sinking, a little brandy and water or ar- 
rowroot and brandy have revived him. In this terrible visitation 
of cholera, we have considered ourselves perfectly armed and 
equipped, with a hand-bag containing mixture No. 1, mixture No. 
2 (for vomiting, &c.,) a few pounds of pounded mustard, a bottle 
of brandy a paper of camomile flowers, and a paper of gum arabic. 

For conyenience we repeat th« formulas for mix- 
tures Nos. 1 and 2 : 



Oholera, Kemedies and Treatment 29 

Mixture No. 1 (for Diarrhoea).— Equal parts by measure of 
laudanum, spirits of camphor, and tincture of rhubarb. Thirty 
drops for an adult, on a lump of sugar, will often check the diar- 
rhoea. 

Mixture No. 2 (for Vomiting, Purging, &c.).— Equal parts 
of laudanum, tincture of capsicum, tincture of ginger, and tinc- 
ture of cardamon seeds. Dose, thirty to forty drops, or a half 
teaspoonful in a little water, and to be increased according to the 
urgency of the case. 

Dr. Tire's Remedy. 

Dr. Ure, of Edinburg, states as follows : 

I here propose to give a method of treating cholera so simple* 
60 rapid, so certain that it should commend itself to every unprej- 
udiced mind. I assert that it will cure when stimulants, opiates 
and the vast list of experimental remedies which have been used 
in this complaint utterly fail. Even when the disease has pro- 
gressed so far that eminent physicians have given up the case as 
hopeless, I have seen restoration by this mode take place almost 
instantaneously. Time — even a few minutes — often decides the 
fate of a person attacked; therefore speed is a great disideratum, 
and the treatment here recommended is the quickest on the face 
of the earth. 

In cholera, the serum or watery part of the blood runs off, leav- 
ing only the crassamentum, or thick portion. This is shown from 
the fact that the bodies of those who die from the disease, present 
the extraordinary peculiarity of being without fluid. Nothing re- 
mains but the thick parts of the blood — mere clots or coagula in 
the large vessels, and dark grumous blood in the smaller ones. — 
The first indication is to stop this enormous hemorrhage. Medi- 
cines administered by the mouth cannot meet the case like going 
directly to the seat of the disease — the bowels. For this purpose 
use this injection. Its simplicity is such that a child can give it. 
It is a never failing cure : 

Tincture kino, one ounce. 

Tincture opii, four drams. 

Amylum (common starch), one ounce. 

Tepid water, six ounces. 

Mix. Inject slowly into the bowels. The injection mixture 
should be of the consistency of thin gruel. If it should come away 
it should be immediately repeated. If the injection be properly 
administered, and in sufficient quantitiy it will stop the discharge 
from the bowels in fifteen minutes, and nothing will pass them 
for several days. The patient is then safe. 

A weak mixture of chloroform, spirits camphor and turpentine 
may also be taken by the mouth. It is the only internal remedy 
that I have ever seen amount to much. 

If the above injection cannot be quickly obtained, a preparation 
of starch water, containing a solution of alum or laudanum, forms 
a cheap, convenient and effective injection. 

By this treatment, I will pledge all I am worth that I can cure 
more cases of cholera thamall other systems of medicine combin- 
ed can possibly effect. 



30 Oholera, Kemedios and Treatment. 

Another Remedy. 

The following remedy has been highly recommend- 
ed by those who have proved its efficacy : 

Mix in a small bottle equal parts of the tincture of opium (laud- 
anum), tincture of rhubarb, tincture of camphor, and essence of 
peppermint (treble strength). Add two drams of spirits of aro- 
matic ammonia. Then shake all the ingredients together, cork 
the bottle, and it is ready for instant use. It will keep for years. 

Dose. — Tea drops, twenty drops or a teaspoonful, mixed with a 
little sugar and water; to be taken every fifteen minutes, thirty 
minutes, or an hour, according to the severity of the attack and 
the age of the sufferer. 

This compound is pronounced by medical men to be excellent; 
but it must be remembered that it is a medicine which should be 
used moderately, although none can be harmed by it if they fol- 
low the above directions. A few doses generally relieve the patient. 
Children require only half the quantity used for grown people. 

Another Remedy. 

As there is said to be safety in a multitude of 
counsellors, we give the following additional remedy 
which has been recommended by many eminent med- 
ical men as an excellent remedy, and well worth be- 
ing kept on hand in every family. 

The recipe was used by the Liverpool Dock^ Compa- 
ny in 1849. It was shown that 127 men of the 
north works, and 93 men at the dock yards who had 
been attacked by diarrhoea or cholera, had taken the 
medicine prescribed, and the whole of them recover^ 
ed. Ten men at the north works and thirteen at the 
dock yards, similarly attacked, but who had not ta- 
ken the medicine, had died. In not a single case 
had the prescription failed. 

-Recipe for Diarrhoea and Cholera. — Three drams of spirits of cam- 
phor; three drams of laudanum; three drams of oil of turpentine; 
thirty drops of oil of peppermint. 

Mix, and take a teaspoonful in a glass of weak brandy and wa- 
ter for diarrhoea, and a tablespoonful in weak brandy and water 
for cholera. 

Lose no time in sending for medical attendance, when attacked, 
and inform the doctor of what has been taken. 



Headache. 31 

Headache. 

Formerly, I was much troubled with the headache, 
but for some years past I have been much benefitted 
by the following practice : Every morning before 
bathing any other part of my body, I thoroughly wet 
the back of my head and neck with cold water. I 
would ad\ise every one who is troubled with a daily 
headache to adopt this simple practice. 

Sick Headache. 

This distressing complaint is often caused by over 
eating. As soon as you feel you have eaten too much, 
take a walk. If the weather is pleasant go out of 
doors, but walk even if you have to walk back and 
forth in your own room. Do not walk very fast at 
first, but gradually increase in rapidity until you 
perspire freely. Continue walking fast until there 
is no feeling of distress about the stomach or lungs. 
Then cool off gradually, and eat but little at the next 
two or three meals. Many cases of sick headache 
arise from the filthy habit of letting the mouth go 
uncleaned. If you are often troubled with the head- 
ache, wash the teeth thoroughly after every meal and 
scrape the tongue every night and morning. Drink 
nothing of an alcoholic character, and not eat as much 
meat as your appetite sometimes seems to crave. — 
Those who are subject to attacks of the sick headache 
can usually tell in advance when one is coming on. 
The head should then be washed in cold water. Be 



32 Headache. 

eure and eat nothing for a few hours, but instead, it 
would be well to drink a glass of very sour butter 
milk. If the attack is very severe, 

Headache Lotion. 

Take half a pint of rose water and two teaspoonfuls of vinegar. 
Apply it to the part affected whenever the head is aching. Use 
fresh linen and lotion each application. 

Tincture of Blood-Root. 

This is made by putting one ounce of the dried, bruised root in- 
+o one pint of alcohol. Take one teaspoonful every morning, and 
eat only such food as will easily digest, and only a reasonable 
amount of that. 

I am told that many who have long been subject 
to the headache, have received help by using this 
tincture. Over-eating undoubtedly produces many 
severe headaches, therefore the advice to "eat only 
a reasonable amount" of easily digested food, is good. 

If you will indulge beyond measure in eating, 
drinking, smoking or other sensual habits, you must 
suffer with severe sick headache. If you would avoid 
the headache, avoid the cause that produces it. 

Headache Drops. 

Take one-fourth ounce of genetian root bruised, one ounce laud- 
anum, one and one-half ounces sulphuric ether, one-half pint al- 
cohol, and half a pint of water. Put all into a bottle and let it 
stand about a week. Then take a teaspoonful once or twice a day. 

I procured this recipe from a female physician in 
New York. She says this and the tincture of blood- 
root are particularly useful to females who have the 
headache in consequence of a weak and debilitated 
condition. 



Hair Restorative. 33 

Hair Restorative. 

Take one dram of lac sulphur, one dram of sugar of lead, and 
four ounces of rose water. Mix well, and shake the vial on using 
the mixture. Bathe the hair twice a day for a week, then use oc- 
casionally. By this means you will restore the natural color of 
the hair and keep it. To produce a new growth of hair, bathe the 
bald part once a day. When used simply to beautify the hair, once 
a week is often enough. 

This preparation does not dye the hair but ope- 
rates on the roots and restores its original color — 
that is, if your hair was formerly black, this prepa- 
ration will cause it to grow out and be as black as 
ever. If your hair was brown, this will cause it to 
grow that color. 

As an article to beautify the hair, this preparation 
is unsurpassed. In all cases when you apply this 
to the hair, rub it on to your head with your fingers 
or a soft brush. It is better to use the fingers and 
palm of the hand. Eub it in well, for it produces 
its good effect by working on the roots of the hair. 
It very seldom fails of producing a new growth of 
hair, or of restoring gray hair to its original color. — 
I have seen it used in hundreds of cases and never 
knew a case in which it was a total failure. The 
first case I ever knew of its use, was this : 

I met a man in Danville, N. Y., who had been 
using it a short time. I noticed that the ends of his 
hair were gray, while closer to his head the hair was 
a dark brown. I took the liberty of asking him the 
cause, and learned that he had been using this prep- 
aration. Since then I have known many similar 
B3 



34 Hair Dye. 

cases. The only objection to its use is that it takes 
time for the hair to grow out new, before you have 
the original color. Sometimes it makes the hair al- 
ready on the head look a little darker, but the whole 
work is not done till it has all grown out new from 
the roots. 

Some, in using this, dye the hair already grown 
out, and use this preparation, thus avoiding the pe- 
culiar appearance of black hair near the head and 
gray hair further out. The expense of making this 
is very small, and it is full as good as the best of the 
advertised Restoratives that have become so popular. 
It has the advantage of hair Dye in that it does its 
work from the roots, and hence no new gray hair is 
continually making its appearance. 
Hair Dye. 

Take a small lump of lime and reduce it to a fine powder by 
throwing on a little water. Put on just enough water to slack the 
lime and leave it to dry. Then take two parts of lime and one of 
litharge, mix well, and if you desire a black, form into a paste with 
wa ter. If you desire abrown, form into a paste with milk. Clean 
the head thoroughly with a fine tooth comb. Then wash the hair 
with soda and water to free it from grease. Work this paste well 
into the hair down to the roots and then lay on the paste pretty 
thick and cover the head with oil-skin or a cabbage leaf, after 
which go to bed. The next morning the powder should be care- 
fully brushed away and the hair oiled. 

Columbian Hair Dye. 

No. 1. Hydrosulphuret of ammonia, one ounce; solution of pot- 
ash, three drams ; rain water one ounce (all by measure). Mix and 
put into a bottle and label No. 1. 

No. 2. Nitrate of silver, one dram ; rain water, two ounces. — 
Mix and put into a bottle and label No. 2. 

Directions for using.— The solution No. 1 should be applied to the 
hair with a small brush, (a tooth brush is best,) and the applica- 
tion continued for fifteen or twenty minutes. The solution No. 2 
is then to be brushed over, a comb being used to separate the 



Hair Invigorators. 35 

hairs and allow the liquid to come in contact with every part. — 
Be careful and not let the liquid come in contact with the skin, 

1 ain. If th 
no1 dai peal 

Bci'-.c using the dye, the hair or whiskers should be well clean- 
ed and dried. If you happen to get any stain on the skin wipe it 
off immediately with a cloth, and then wash the stained place. 

One dram of cyanuret of potassium in one ounce of water will 
remove any stain arising from nitrate of silver. I would not, how- 
ever, advise you to use it, for it is very poison and if you chance 
to get it on to any sore place injurious results may follow. 

Before putting this dye upon the head, try the effect of it by 
cutting off a lock of hair and applying the solution as above. If 
it works satisfactorily on the lock of hair, you may expect it will 
work the same on your head. 

These hair dyes are as good if not better than any 
other in use. The Columbian Hair Dye was kept a 
secret for a long time in the hands of a few. The 
hair dyes formerly in use did not do their work as 
well as these, but even these are not as reliable as 
might be wished. However if you try the prepara- 
tion on a lock of hair before applying it to the head, 
you need not be disappointed by a total failure. It 
is far preferable to use the Restorative and thus re- 
store the hair to its original color. The natural col- 
or of your hair is the color best suited to your fea- 
tures and complexion. As soon as you exchange 
the natural color of your hair for some other color, 
you spoil your own good looks. 

Hair Invigorators. 

There are many things used to invigorate the hair 
and give it a lively appearance. Never use any mix- 
ture on the hair that contains alcohol. 

Take 1 ounce carbonate of ammonia, 20 drops oil of lavender, 1 
pint of sweet oil, mis. well. Apply daily until the hair stops fail- 
ing out. 



36 Hair Dressings. 

This is very highly recommended by those who 
have used it. 

Strong sage tea used as a daily head-wash is good 
to prevent the hair from falling out. 

Onions rubbed frequently on the bald part of the 
head have been successfully used to produce a new 
growth of hair. This is certainly cheap and harm- 
less, but by no means infallible. As it cannot do 
harm and may do good, if you have a bald place on 
your head it will be well to try it. 

Ten drops of sulphuric acid in a pint of rain wa- 
ter makes a good wash for removing alkaline depos- 
its, which often cause the premature loss of hair. 

I got the above recipe of a traveling agent who 
was selling one of the much advertised hair restora- 
tives. He said that the success of the restorative 
depended on the above wash being used previous to 
the application of the restorative. I have no doubt 
that one great cause of the head becoming bald is 
that it is not sufficiently cleaned. Everybody's head 
needs washing as often and as thoroughly as their 
body. Any one who washes his head thoroughly 
with soft water every day, and with soap and water 
once a week, will need no shampooing, but for the 
benefit of those who have long neglected keeping the 
head clean, I give the following : 
Shampooing Mixture. 

Mix 1 ounce of purified carbonate of potash in 1 quart of rain 
water. 



Hair Dressings. 37 

Directions for using.— Wet the hair with the mixture and rub it 
thoroughly with both hands. Then wash the head with clean 
soft water, after which it should be wiped dry with a coarse tow- 
el. When perfectly dry put on a little oil. It is not best to use 
much oil on the hair at any time. 

I have known this recipe to be sold for five dol- 
lars. The mixture costs but a trifle, and hence is 
very profitable to barbers. 

Ox Marrow Pomatum. 

Take 2 ounces of yellow wax, 8 ounces of beef marrow, and 12 
ounces of lard. Melt all together, and when sufficiently cooled 
perfume with oil of almonds. 

This is one of the best pomatums in use, and if 
you must use pomatum you may rely upon this as 
being excellent. 

Shampooing Compound and Grease Extract- 
or. 

Take 1 ounce of shaving soap and whittle it into thin shavings, 
and then put it into a quart of soft water. Let it stand a few 
hours, shaking it up occasionally to give the soap a chance to dis- 
solve. Then add 2 ounces of aqua ammonia, and 1 teaspoonful of 
saltpetre. The whole should be put together in a glass bottle and 
corked. Let it stand about a week before using, and shake it up 
a few times, say once a day. 

Directions.— For shampooing use in the usual way. For remov- 
ing grease, oil, or stains from any kind of clothing, put some of it 
on the place and let it be a few minutes. Then rub it well and 
sponge it. Then wash it off with clean cold water. If the grease 
is not all removed repeat the operation. 

I bought this recipe of a barber in Detroit, Mich, 
He recommended it more than I should feel author- 
ized to. The following is the substance of what he 
said about it : It will remove any stain or paint in 
which there is any grease or oil. It cannot injure 
the finest fabric. In shampooing, if there is much 
grease and dandruff in the hair it raises all the more 
lather. Besides all this, it is sure death to bed-bugs. 



38 Superfluous Hair, 

Put it into the crevices and places where they like 
to live, and it will entirely destroy them. It is first 
rate for cleaning dirty wood work, such as doors that 
are frequently opened and shut with greasy hands. 
Wet a cloth with it and rub the greasy places, but 
do not use it where there is any paint that you do 
not wish removed. 

Rose Hair Oil. 

Put 10 drops of otto of roses in 1 pint of olive oil. 

Otto of roses is rather expensive, and for that rea- 
son seldom used. Much of the rose hair oil sold is 
made of olive oil and a few drops of essence of ber- 
gamot. 
Superfluous Hair. 

There is no remedy for the removal of superfluous 
hair that is in all cases perfectly harmless, but as we 
sometimes find hair existing on parts of the face or 
body where it ought not to grow, it is perfectly nat- 
ural for us to wish we could get rid of the extra 
growth. Let it be understood that each hair in grow- 
ing through the skin carries with it a transparent 
sheath. Within this sheath there is a passage for 
the growing fluid to flow out and in. This being 
the case, the true way to eradicate the hair is to de- 
stroy this passage or minute canal which conveys the 
nutrient liquids to the stems. This it is very diffi- 
cult to do without injuring the skin. The following 
is the simplest remedy I know anything about : 



Hair Wash. 39 

Beat 4 ounces of sweet almonds in a mortar and add }-£ half an 
ounce of white sugar dnrinar the process. Reduce the whole to 
a paste by po li 
ounces of rose watei and 

; po Thenaddia aanner 1 ounce of the alka- 

loid extract of colchicum. This emulsion should be strained 
through a Hva' cloth, and the residue pounded again. The strain- 
ed fluid should be bottled in a large vial and corked. After pound- 
ing and rubbing the residue in the mortar, strain out what fluid 
you can, and continue doing so as long as you can strain out any 
fluid after pounding. Then add to the strained fluid % a P m t of 
very strong vinegar, and after shaking it well, it is ready for use. 

This fluid is to be applied with a cloth immediately after wash- 
ing. The skin should then be gently rubbed with a dry cloth till 
perfecty dry. 

There are many other preparations sold for a high 
price, bat this is probably the most harmless one 
among them. It needs considerable time and a num- 
ber of applications to remove the extra tufts of hair. 

My own opinion is that the only really safe way 
is to remove the superfluous hair by pulling it out. 
A pair of good tweezers and plenty of patience will 
do the work. 

Hair Wash. 

Here is a Hair Wash that has been used by some 
of the best barbers in the country and for a long 
time was kept a secret and the recipe sold for $5 — 
Try it. 

Bay rum, 1 gill; alcohol, 1 gill; aqua ammonia, 1 ounce; sugar 
of lead, 1 ounce; lac sulphur, 1 ounce; nitrate of silver, 1 ounce ; 
fine table salt, 1 tablespoonful; soft water, 2 pints. Set away for 
12 hours; strain and perfume according to your taste. 

Hair Oil. 

Some people think it necessary to have an oil for 
hair dressing purposes, always among their toilet 
fixings. The following is a simple and cheap prep- 



40 To Prevent Hair from Palling Out. 

aration, and is as good as most of the cosmetics for 
the hair that are sold by the druggists. 
2 parts castor oil; 1 part alcohol. Mis and perfume to taste. 

Here is another more elaborate preparation that 
has been sold for five dollars for a single recipe, 
styled the 

Hungarian Hair Oil. 

Take 4 ounces each of strong alcohol and castor oil; tincture of 
red sanders or alkanet % ounce; oil bergamot, oil lavender, oil 
lemon, of each 1 dram. Mix thoroughly and bottle. 

Hair Pomatum. 

Take the marrow out of two beef-bones, put it in cold water and 
let it remain until it is quite clean and white, change the water 
several times, dissolve and strain the marrow; then add 4 ounces 
of the best castor oil, beat both well together until cold, then add, 
before the pomatum becomes firm, % an ounce of strong scent, as 
desired. 

The above will be found to be a very excellent 
hair dressing, and costs but little beside the trouble 
of making it. 

To Prevent Hair from Falling Out. 

There are few people who like to present to their 
friends a bald shining pate, and it is seldom necessa- 
ry that they should, if they take the necessary steps 
in time to save their hair. The following when ap- 
plied in time will almost always prevent the hair 
from falling off: 

Take 1 pint of Cologne, 2 ounces tincture of blood root, 2 oun- 
ces castor oil, % an ounce tincture of Spanish fly, and % an ounce 
of castile soap, grated fine. Mix thoroughly. Apply once a day 
with a brush. 



Magic Toothache Drops. 41 

Hair Brushes, to Clean. 

Those who use Jiair brushes should take especial 
pains to keep them clean, and as hot water and soap 
soon destroys the hairs by softening them, something 
else should be used. Try the following : 

Dissolve some soda in cold water. As soda has an affinity for 
grease, it cleans the brush with little friction. Brushes should 
never be set in the sun or near the fire to dry. After they have 
been washed, give them a good shaking in order to get out all the 
water you can. Then set them up on the point of the handle in a 
shady place and let them alone until they are dry. 

Magic Toothache Drops. 

Mix together equal parts of laudanum, tincture of myrrh, spir" 
its of camphor and oil of cloves. Apply to the affected tooth on 
a little lint. 

I do not pretend that these drops will wholly cure 
the toothache in every case, but they will always 
give relief and in most cases entirely cure in less than 
five minutes. Either of the ingredients alone is good, 
but the best way is to mix them as above. I never 
heard of this recipe until I tried it myself. I know 
of no better remedy for the toothache. I have had 
occasion to use them a great many times, and always 
with good success. 

There are many simple remedies, such as putting 
saleratus in and around the tooth. When all the 
other remedies fail, try these drops. Though if your 
tooth is aching very hard, you had better try these 
drops first and you will have no need of trying the 
other remedies. 
Tooth Powder. 

Take prepared chalk 2 ounces, Peruvian bark % ounce, and 1 
ounce of white sugar. Put all together and triturate in a mortar. 



42 Chilblain Lotion. Secret Art of Catching Fish. 

This makes a cheap powder, and I know by actu- 
al trial that it is better than many of the powders 
sold at high prices. It cleans the teeth, hardens the 
gums and sweetens the breath. 

Chilblain Lotion. 

Mix 2 ounces of sal ammoniac with a pint of water. Bathe the 
feet at night before going to bed. The feet should he washed 
clean before using the lotion. 

I have known this used in many cases with good 
success. It is said to be a sure cure, but I could not 
say positively that it will never fail. As it is sim- 
ple and cheap you can try it for yourself. 

The following is my plan of curing chilblains, and 

I have had no failures though I have had occasion 

to try it many times, and on many different persons : 

Wash the feet thoroughly with cold soft water every night be- 
fore going to bed, and wipe them as dry as you can with a towel. 
Then warm them well before the tire and rub them with the hands 
at the same time. If they are very sore rub them gently. I think 
this is a better way than to use lotions. 

Secret Art of Catching Fish. 

Take 1 dram oil of rhodmm, 1 ounce of coculus Indicus, and 1 
pound of cheese. Mix and throw into the water in small crumbs. 
In a few minutes you can take the fish out with your hands. You 
will have to work lively as this only stupefies the fish for a short 
time. If you do not gather them in they will soon swim away and 
leave you. Have a large pail or tub of water in readiness, and 
when you get the fish put them into the water and leave them un- 
til they are lively before you dress them. 

When fishing with a hook put oil of rhodium on the bait and 
you will always have good luck. I am told that the juice of smell- 
age mixed with the bait answers the same purpose as oil of rhodi- 
um. As long as there are any fish within a few yards of your hook, 
you can keep yourself busy pulling them out. 

I am not a fisherman, and know nothing about 
this "great secret" only that I have sold it on trial 



Substitute for Older. To Transfer Pictures. 43 

to be paid for in case it worked well, and those who 
tried it paid me, declaring it worked to a charm. 

Substitute for Sweet Cider. 

Dissolve % an ounce of tartaric acid, 1 pound of brown sugar, 
and 2 tablespoonsful of yeast in 1 gallon of warm water. Let it 
stand until sufficiently fermented, which will usually be in about 
12 hours. In making this cider you can vary the proportion to 
suit the taste. A larger proportion of water is usually put in with 
the above ingredients ; you can add as much as suits your taste. 
This cider when sour, makes the very best of vinegar. If you 
make it in cold weather, keep it in a warm room until fit for use. 

This is nearly as good as the genuine apple juice, 
not one in ten being able to tell the difference. It 
has one advantage over apple cider, and that is it is 
not intoxicating. 

This recipe has been sold under different names at 
great prices. It is called "Western Cider," " Ci- 
der without Apples," "White Oak Cider," and va- 
rious other names. You may have to vary the pro- 
portions considerably before you make it to suit your 
taste. If you want it sweeter put in more sugar. 
If you want it more tart put in more acid. There is 
no necessity of using a recipe for keeping cider sweet 
when you can make a substitute cheaper than you 
can prepare the genuine. 

To Transfer Pictures from Paper to Wood. 

Varnish the wood with copal; when about half dry, lay the face 
of the picture on the varnish, and press it down carefully. When 
thoroughly dry, moisten the back of the paper with water and rub 
off gradually, till you can distinctly see the picture, but take care 
and not rub clear through the paper. Get the paper as even as 
you can, and when dry smooth it off with a piece of fine sand pa- 
per; then give a good coat of varnish, and when dry you will have 
the exact picture that was on the paper, with not enough of the 
paper left to be noticed. 



44 Wart and Corn Salve. 

This is so simple that even a child can do it. It 
requires no knowledge of painting. I have known 
children under ten years in Kenosha and Racine to 
successfully transfer pictures according to this recipe. 
By following the above directions you can transfer 
pictures from paper to wood, glass, stone, or any 
smooth, hard surface. If you have a fine picture you 
wish to put on to a piece of nice furniture, you can 
easily do it. If you wish to transfer a picture on to 
glass get a common window glass, clear and free from 
spots. Clean the glass thoroughly before applying 
the varnish. After varnishing put the glass away 
where no dust can get on it, and let it dry thorough- 
ly. In transferring to glass you will have to be more 
careful than in transferring to wood. In all cases af- 
ter the picture is transferred and well dried, varnish 
it. 

Wart and Corn Salve. 

Pulverize 1 ounce of potash in an iron kettle; let it stand in the 
open air 24 hours; then add 25 grains extract of belladonna, and 
1 dram peroxide of magnesia; mix well and add enough water to 
bring it to the consistency of honey. Put a little of this on the 
corn and let it remain about an hour. Then wash it off, and soak 
the corn in sweet oil ; if it causes pain before the s»lve has been 
on an hour, it should be immediately washed off. After soaking 
the corn in sweet oil, scrape off what you can of the dead sub- 
stance, and if you can pull the corn out, do so. If one applica- 
tion is not sufficient, go through the same process again the next 
day. Usually one or two applications will be enough. Warts 
may be removed in the same way. This salve should be used soon 
after being made, for it becomes useless in a few weeks if kept. 

As I never had a corn I never have had occasion 
to try the above on my own flesh, but before I con- 
cluded to publish my recipes in a book, I used to 



Black Writing Ink, Invisible Ind. 45 

sell the above and give the purchaser a chance to 
try it before paying, on condition that if it removed 
the corn I was to have my pay ; but if it failed, I 
was not to get anything. I have received more than 
a hundred letters saying that it did its work well. I 
have received one and only one saying it was a fail- 
ure. 

Black Writing Ink. 

Put 1 pound of logwood chips in 1 gallon of soft water. Boil 
slightly one hour. Then strain and add 25 grains bichromate of 
potash, 12 grains prussiate of potash, and % ounce of prussian 
blue. Put the whole over the fire, and boil about five minutes. 
Strain again. Let it stand open a week or two, after which it 
may be bottled for use. 

One inch of the stick of nitrate of silver to each gallon of the 
above, makes a first rate Indellible Ink for writing on cloth. 

Many consider this the best ink ever invented. — 
It is a bright jet black, flows easily from the pen, 
does not corrode, and cannot be effaced, even by the 
strongest oxalic acid. When the ingredients are pur- 
chased in small quantities it will cost about five cents 
a quart. By buying at wholesale it can be made 
for half that price. Freezing injures this ink less 
than any other ink I have ever seen frozen. 

Invisible Ink. 

Take 1 part of sulphuric acid and 15 parts of Avater: mix and 
write with a quill or gold pen. On white paper, no mark can be 
seen until held to the fire, when it becomes very black. On blue 
paper it makes a white mark. 

This is useful only as a curiosity. Simple and 
useless as it is, I have known the recipe to be sold 
for ten dollars. 



46 Stimulating Onguent, Balky Horses. 

Stimulating Onguent. 

Mix 2 drams tincture of cantharides, 12 drops oil of nutmeg, 
and 2 ounces of cologne in half a pint of rose-water. Apply ev- 
ery night and shave three times a week. 

I warrant this as good, but not better, than the 
article so extensively advertised, and sold under the 
recommendation that it will force whiskers to grow 
in six weeks. 

Silver Humbug. 

Nitric acid 1 ounce, quicksilver 1 ounce, and rain water 1 quart. 
Put all in an open bottle and let it stand until well dissolved.— 
Wet a piece of woolen cloth with this, a^d rub it over whatever 
you wish to clean. Then rub briskly with a piece of dry woolen. 
When first applied it makes brass, copper, &c, look like silver, 
but in a few days it assumes its original color. 

This is the only really useful humbug I know any- 
thing about. For cleaning silver, brass and copper 
it is unsurpassed. I have named it humbug because 
I have seen so many humbugged with it. Many on 
seeing it applied to brass suppose the silver is per- 
manent, and therefore pay a high price for the arti- 
cle and a higher price for the recipe. 

Balky Horses. 

Take the scab from the fore leg of the horse and pulverize it 
very fine. Then add some finely pulverized sassafras root and 
mix with fresh lard. Fasten to the bit with a cloth. Dampen 
a little of the pulverized scab with oil of rhodium and oil of cum- 
min, and with your finger rub a little of it in the nostrils of the 
horse. Let him stand a few minutes and start him gently, and 
you will find he is ready to pull all he can. 

While I was traveling in the oil regions of Penn- 
sylvania, I met a teamster by the name of John C. 
Young, trying to make his team pull an empty wag- 
on over a good road, but one of his horses was balky 
and would not pull, I happened to have some of the 



London Washing Compound. 47 

preparation with me, and told him I could make his 
horse pull. He was quite willing to let me try, and 
I used the preparation according to the above recipe. 
The horse soon forgot to balk. The teamster then 
bought the recipe of me and gave me a recommenda- 
tion which enabled me to sell the same recipe to 
many others who were troubled to make their balky 
horses pull. Whether this will always work success- 
fully or not is more than I can say, but I have nev- 
er known it to fail though my acquaintance with its 
use is not very extensive. 

Transparent Soap. 

Take 1 pound of white bar soap, 1 pint of alcohol, % ounce of 
spirits of hartshorn, and a few drops of oil of cinnamon. Cut the 
soap into small pieces. Put all the material together into a clean 
kettle, and place over a slow lire. Stir gently till all is dissolved; 
then pour it into a square pan, and when cold } r ou can cut it into 
bars. 

This soap is very highly recommended for remov- 
ing oil, paint, grease, and stains from all kinds o 
cloth. 

London Washing Compound. 

Among the many labor saving inventions, there is 
probably none that will compare with the London 
Washing compound. It will save more rubbing to 
the tired and weary washerwoman than any washing 
machine ever invented. It has long been used and 
appreciated in England, and is undoubtedly the best 
preparation of the kind ever sold in the United States. 

The recipe wa£ first sold for ten dollars and after- 



48 Wasting Fluid. 

wards for five, and we presume thousands of persons 
nave paid from one to three dollars each for the reci- 
pe within the past year. In giving it to the pur- 
chasers of this book we believe we give them the full 
cost of the book in this one recipe. The preparation 
is also manufactured and sold extensively under dif- 
ferent names. 

It will make clothes look whiter without rubbing 
than any washing machine, and as the cost is trifling 
it cannot fail to give satisfaction to whoever tries it. 

Take 5 pounds sal soda, 1 pound borax, 1 pound fresh unslack- 
ed lime. Dissolve the soda and borax in 1 gallon of boiling wa- 
ter, and slack the lime in a like quantity of boiling water. Then 
pour them both into 8 gallons of water, stir a few times and let it 
stand till morning, when the clear fluid should be drawn off and 
kept ready for use. Any quantity can be made after this propor- 
tion. 

One quart of this compound, with 3 pounds of good brown soap 
cut fine, and 2 pounds of sal soda, boiled in 3 gallons of water for 
ten minutes, will give you four gallons of splendid soft soap. 

Directions for use. — The night previous to washing assort the 
clothes and put them in a tub, the cleanest ones top, and pour 
cold water over them. In the morning fill the boiler half full of 
soft water, put in half a teacupful of soft soap, and one teacup- 
ful of the compound. Wring out the cleanest of the clothes and 
put in and boil five minutes ; take out, and boil the remainder the 
same. Pour out the suds and put in clean water, with one spoon- 
ful of soap and two-thirds of a cupful of compound. Wring out 
the clothes as before, rubbing the wristbands and dirty spots a lit- 
tle. Boil ten minutes, take out, suds, rinse and dry. 

For colored clothes, put the first boiling water in a tub and when 
cool enough to bear the hand in, put them all in and let them 
stand until ready to be washed — they will not fade. Then wash 
in the usual manner, only use less soap. 

Washing Fluid. 

Dissolve half an ounce of camphor gum in a pint of warm wa- 
ter, and add a pint of strong lye and half an ounce of aqua ammo- 
nia. Put the whole in a glass bottle, and keep it well corked.— 
In using this liquid the clothes intended to be washed should be 
soaked as follows: Fill a tub with clothes, take water enough to 
cover them well, and stir in one ounce of this liquid. Soak the 
clothes in this water ten or twelve hours — say over night. In 
thia way you will avoid at least half the rubbing. 



Substitute for Apple Butter, 49 

I think the above recipe has never fcefor© been 
published in a book, and I therefore give it a place 
here so that if it is really good it can be used. I 
have never seen it sufficiently tested but think it is 
a good one. As this is made without lime, sal soda, 
spirits of turpentine, alcohol or anything that will 
injure the finest fabric, and as it is simple and cheap 
there can be no harm in giving it at least one trial. 
The great probability is that you will continue to 
use it if you try it once. 
Starch Polish. 

Take enough common stareh to make 1 pint of starch when 
boiled. When boiling, add ^ a dram of white wax, and ^ a 
dram of spermaceti. Use as common starch, only have the iron 
hotter than usual. 

This will enable the most ordinary ironer to give 
linen the appearance of having just left the hands of 
the most experienced finisher, full as beautiful as 
when it was new. 
Substitute for Apple Butter. 

Take 1 quart of vinegar and 1 quart of molasses; boil 15 or 20 
minutes, and add 6 tablespoonfuls of wheat flour in warm water. 
Boil all ten minutes longer, and flavor with mace, cinnamon or 
lemon to suit the taste. This makes a very good substitute for 
apple butter. 

I procured this recipe of a man in the central part 
of Ohio. He had just paid five dollars for it, and 
considered it cheap even at that price. I have eaten 
the substitute, and think it certainly is a good imita- 
tion. You will see it takes only a few minutes to 
make it, and the articles of which it is made are in 
common use in «verv family. It is probably the 



50 Rheumatio Liniment. Consumption. 

cheapest sauce you can get. Apple butter is in com- 
mon use in many parts of the country. When fruit 
is not plenty it is quite expensive. This substitute 
will answer every purpose of the genuine article. 

Rheumatic Liniment. 

Alcohol 1 quart, oil of wormwood 1 ounce, pulverized capsicum 
1 ounce, camphor gum 1 ounce, and 1 ounce of oil of origanum. 
Put all into a glass bottle, keep it well corked, and shake it up 
once or twice a day for a week. Apply to the part affected, and 
rub it in for at least 15 minutes each time. The best way is to rub 
part of the time with the hand and part of the time with a piece 
of flannel. 

Consumption. 

Consumption is usually believed to be an incura- 
ble disease ; yet I have known many persons restor- 
ed to health after they had been pronounced "just 
ready to die with consumption." It is estimated 
that this disease carries off at least one-sixth of the 
population of this country. Hundreds of nostrums 
are extensively advertised and sold as new discover- 
ies and sure to cure. The quack remedies so often 
fail that many really suppose the disease incurable. 

Some of our most able medical writers declare that 
consumption is a curable disease, and there is not the 
least question in my mind that they are correct. — 
But something more should be done than simply to 
allay the cough. This of course should be attended 
to, but this is not half the work. Here are a few 
recipes for making some of the remedies very highly 
recommended and fully as good as the nostrums so ex- 
tensively advertised and sold. 



Oongh Syrups, 51 

Take 1 peck of tamarack bark (brush the moss off but do not 
ross it), % pound of dried spikenard root, and 3 ounces of hops. 
Put all together in about 10 quarts of water, and boil enough to 
get the strength. Then strain and boil down till there is only 
about 1 gallon. Before it gets fairly cold sweeten it sufficiently 
with brown sugar or honey, — honey is best. Then add 1 quart of 
alcohol, and bottle. It should be kept corked and in a cool place. 
Take a swallow or two before each meal and before going to bed. 

Cough Syrup. 

Take equal parts of boneset, slippery elm bark and stick licor- 
ice. Put into 1 quart of water, and simmer till the strength is 
extracted from the ingredients. Then strain and sweeten with 
loaf sugar. One tablespoonful is a dose to be taken as occasion 
requires. 

This medicine is not only cheap but safe. It will 
alleviate the most distressing cough, and hence in 
consumption is a valuable remedy. But consump- 
tion is not the only case where it may be used to ad- 
vantage. It is good for whooping cough, croup, 
bronchitis, diptheria, and all diseases of the throat 
and lungs. It should be kept bottled tight. Let 
this syrup be nicely put up, and as extensively ad- 
vertised as some of the nostrums which are not half 
as good but really dangerous, and it would justly be- 
come more popular, and do more good without the 
danger of doing mischief. Another simple cough syr- 
up, cheap and good, is made as follows : 

Take equal parts of slippery elm bark, elecampane root, and 
blood-root. Prepare and use as above. 

Another Cough Syrup. 

Dissolve 2 sticks of common black licorice, 4 ounces of white 
sugar, and 1 ounce of gum arabic in % a pint of warm water. — 
Then add X an ounce of paregoric and 1 ounce of antimonial 
wine. Take a small swallow of this any time when the cough 
troubles you. 



52 dough Balaam. Hints to Consumptives, 

Cold and Cough Balsam. 

One ounce black cherry bark, 1 ounce squills, 1 ounce seneca 
snake root, % ounce bloodroot. Put into 3 pints of warm water, 
steep 4 hours, then strain. Add }£ pound loaf sugar, then steep 
down to % P m t an( l bottle. 

Directions for using. — For adults, a large teaspoonful three or 
four times a day, to be increased or diminished as the case may 
require. 

The above is really an excellent remedy, and one 
that has been used in thousands of cases with the 
most complete success. The formula was long sold 
at prices varying at different times from three dollars 
to one dollar. It cost us one dollar. If you are 
troubled with a cold or cough, or any other lung com- 
plaint, don't fail to try it. 

Cough Drops for Children. 

Mix in a bottle equal parts of syrup of ipecacuanha, paregoric, 
and castor oil. Shake well before using. Let the child swallow 
a few drops, but do not wash it down with other liquid. 

This has been in common use for years and is con- 
sidered safe, but it is not as reliable as the syrups 
given above. 

A slight irritation of the throat may be relieved by 
sipping a little tea made of slippery elm. Another 
method is to take a small piece of gum arabic and by 
letting it dissolve in the mouth swallow a little at a 
time. This forms a coating over the mucous men> 
brane and thus prevents the irritation of the air. 

Hints to Consumptives. 

I might give many more recipes for curing con- 
sumption, but these are as good as any and therefore 
I consider it unnecessary to give more. But I have 



Hints to Ooneumptiyes. 63 

some remarks to make and directions to give which 
will be beneficial to consumptives to heed. 

In the first place I would say, pay no attention to 
the advertised nostrums, but if you think you need 
any medicine to relieve your cough, use some of the 
above mentioned preparations or some other simple 
remedy. Many of the articles commonly used to 
cure consumption are positively injurious, and for 
that reason should be avoided. I have given only 
such as are simple and harmless. 

If you find that you "• take cold" very easily, you 
may put it down as a strong mark of beginning con- 
sumption. The usual symptoms of consumption are 
too well known to need repeating here. I do not 
pretend that every case of consumption can be cured, 
but most cases are as curable as any other disease. 
Having myself been troubled with weak lungs and 
by many supposed to be consumptive, I have been 
led to closely scrutinize this disease. Instead of ta- 
king medicine I think it is much better to observe 
the following hints : 

Wear loose clothing ; sit, stand and walk erect 
with the shoulders thrown back ; be cheerful and 
in no case give way to despondency ; eat and sleep 
at regular hours, and be regular in all /our habits. 

Make a practice of taking long breaths. Inhale 
as much air as you can and hold it in the chest as 
long as possible. Do this frequently every day, but 



54 Hints to Consumptives. 

be sure you breathe pure air, and if cold, all the bet- 
ter. Keep the mouth closed so as to breathe through 
the nose. Never sleep in rooms much heated by fire, 
but it is far better to have a little fire than to sleep 
in damp rooms. 

Exercise freely in the open air. Out-door exer- 
cise when the sun shines is very valuable ; but not 
in the middle of the day when it is very hot. The 
rays of the sun should be freely admitted into all 
rooms in which we spend any considerable time. 

Eat freely of ripe fruit. Do not sit up very late 
at night if you can avoid it, but if anything happens 
to keep you up beyond the usual hour, be sure and 
rest enough the next day to make up for what you 
lost. Coffee is said to be very injurious. My opin- 
ion is that neither tea nor coffee should be used, but 
coffee is evidently much worse than tea. 

Keep the teeth and mouth clean. The teeth should 
be thoroughly washed at least once every day. Kinse 
the mouth frequently with cold water. The skin 
should also be kept clean, and the whole surface of 
the body should be frequently bathed at all seasons 
of the year. Use warm or cold water, just which 
suits you best, but in all cases wipe thoroughly dry, 
and rub the whole surface with the hands. Bathe 
at least once a week and oftener if thought best. 

If you walk or leave the house before breakfast, 
eat a cracker or crust of bread before you start. If 



Collodion, 55 

you walk before sunrise be careful to avoid low, 
damp, and marshy situations. Never go out in such 
places till the sun has been shining at least aa hour. 
Low and marshy places should be avoided after sun- 
down. 

It is recommended by some to eat a little sugar 
each day. Others think no sugar should be used 
at all. I think that a small quantity of sugar eaten 
each day will do good. No doubt it would be inju- 
rious to use it in large quantities. Severe and long 
continued exercise of body or mind should be avoid- 
ed, though it is well to work lively for a short time. 
As soon as you begin to feel much fatigue, it is time 
to stop and rest. Regular gymnastic exercises every 
day will be of service if not carried to excess. 

Make yourself as thoroughly acquainted as po ssi- 
ble with the disease, in order the better to know how 
to combat it. Wear flannel next to the skin at all 
seasons of the year. If you are able to travel and 
deem it necessary to leave home, go north instead of 
south. 

Attend to these directions and you will find it 
much better than taking medicine. 

Collodion. 

Take gun cotton and dissolve it in sulphuric ether; thicken it 
with gum mucilage. 

This article touched upon a cut or bruise, immedi- 
ately forms an artificial skin which cannot be wash- 



56 Blue, led, and IndeUible Inks. 

ed off. It is very useful for mechanics and others 
whose business makes them liable to cut or bruise 
their hands. It obviates the necessity of finger cots, 
bandages, piasters &c. Where this is used not even 
a rag is necessary to do up a slight wound. The 
expense of making this collodion is small, and many 
have made considerable money selling it. It is usu- 
ally pat up in ounce vials and sold at fifty cents, but 
the cost of it would warrant the maker in selling it 
at fifteen instead of fifty cents. It is really useful 
and well therefore to have some always with you to 
use in case of necessity. It has been sold under va- 
rious names. I have known the recipe sold for ten 
dollars. 
Blue Ink. 

Take soft prusiian blue and oxalic acid in equal parts. Rub 
them together in a mortar until they are well powdered. Put in 
enough soft water to bring it to a thin paste. Let it stand about 
a week, then add more water. Tou can thus bring it to any de- 
sired shade of color you please. If you want it a very light blue 
add considerable water, otherwise add but little. 

Red Ink. 

Take best carmine 2 grains, rain water % ounce, aqua ammonia 
90 drops. 

This is said to be the best ruling ink ever made, 
and hence much used for ledgers and bank purposes. 
I have never made any of it myself, but have sold 
the recipe to others who have made it and pronoun- 
ced it the very best. 
Indellibl* Ink. 

Take >£ an ounce of vermilion and a dram of salt of steel.— 
Powder them very fine and put in linseed oil until it is the con- 
sistency required. 



Black Writing Ink. Silver Plating Fluid. 57 

This ink can be used with type, hair pencil or pen. 
If you wish to use it with type it needs to be much 
thicker than when used with a pen. You can vary 
the color by putting different articles with the above. 
It is said to resist the action of all acids or alkalies. 

A little nitrate of silver dissolved and stirred into 
other ink is as indelible as could be wished. Soft 
soap and boiling cannot efface it. Indellible ink 
should always be kept corked in a glass bottle. 

Indellible Ink for Cloth. 

Take soft water 2 ounces, nitrate of silver 4 drams, spirits of 
hartshorn 2 drams. Mix thoroughly, then add 2 drams sap green, 
grated line. Bottle tight, and use with a quill pen. 

This makes one of the most permanent and jet 
black indelible inks ever made. Cloth marked with 
this should be exposed to the strong heat of the sun 
half an hour, or a warm iron may be run over it. 

Superior Black Writing Ink. 

Take powdered nutgalls 4 ounces, cold rain water 5 teacupsful. 
Mix and bottle. Shake them once a day for three weeks, then 
strain through a flannel cloth. 

This forms the best and most durable black ink 
in use. It never fades or becomes mouldy. This 
ink should never be boiled, as heat destroys the col- 
oring principle and renders it transient and pale. 

Silver Plating Fluid. 

Dissolve 1 ounce of nitrate of silver in crystals in 20 ounces of 
soft water. Then dissolve in the water 2 ouuees of cyanuret of 
potash. Shake the whole together and let it stand until it be- 
comes clear. Have ready some small bottles half full of Paris 
white, or fine whiting. Then till the bottles with the liquid and 
it is ready for use. The silver should be obtained in crystal be- 
cause its purity is more certain. 
20 



58 Genuine Hot Dropc Matches. 

I have never used this recipe and cannot speak of 
its merits from experience, but I know it has often 
been sold for a high price. 
Genuine Hot Drops. 

Take % of a pound of fine gum myrrh. 1 ounce best African 
cayenne, and 4 ounces golden seal. Put the whole in 1 gallon of 
alcohol and let it remain 1 month, shaking it thoroughly once a 
day. 

The above is the genuine article and may be taken 
by the teaspoonful for a dose in a little water well 
sweetened. It is very valuable in coughs, colds, 
pains in the stomach, bowels, &c. In case of rheum- 
atism, bathe the part affected with the drops and 
rub freely with a piece of flannel or the bare hand. 
It is also excellent for the headache and toothache if 
applied to the affected part. Those subject to cold 
feet will find a help by washing the feet in cold wa- 
ter and then bathing them well with these drops. 
Matches. 

The ends of the tapers of wood should be very dry and then dip- 
ped into hot melted sulphur, and laid aside to dry. Then dis- 
solve 4 p*arts of glue, and when hot add 1 part of phosphorus, and 
stir in a few spoonsful of fine whiting to bring it to the proper 
thickness. 

This preparation should be kept hot by beins* suspended over a 
lamp while dipping the tapers. Colo*- the ends of the maches by 
adding a little vermilion, prussian blue or lamp-black to the mass. 
Be careful and not ignite the compound while dipping. 

Always keep matches in their case and you will 
avoid the danger of fire consequent upon letting them 
be carelessly scattered about. Every bedroom should 
be supplied with a match-safe well filled with good 
matches. Never leave matches where children can 
get hold of them. 



French Chemical Soap. ShaTing Soap, 59 

French Chemical Soap. 

Take 5 pounds of castile or white bar soap cut fine, 1 pint of 
alcohol, 1 pint of soft water, 2 ounces aquafortis, % an ounce of 
lamp-black, 2 ounces saltpetre, 3 ounces potash, 1 ounce of cam- 
phor and 4 ounces cinnamon in powder. 

First dissolve the soap, potash and saltpetre by boiling. Add 
all the other articles, and continue to stir till it aools. Then pour 
it into a box and let it stand 24 hours, after which it may be cut 
into cakes. 

This undoubtedly makes a good soap, but it is not 

as cheap as some of the other recipes given in this 

book will make. 

Shaving Soap. 

Take 2 pounds of best white bar soap and % a pound of good 
common bar soap, and ecrape them up fine so that they will dis- 
solve readily. Put the soap into a cupper kettle with a quart of 
soft water, or as little water as it can be dissolved in without 
burning. Set it over the fire and when it is dissolved by boiling 
addl pint of alcohol, 1 gill of beef's gall, X a gill of spirits of 
turpentine. Boil all these together for five minutes and stir well 
while boiling. While it is cooling flavor it with sassafras or some 
other oil to suit, and color with line vermilion. After you put the 
vermilion in stir it only a little in order that it may be colored in 
streaks. Too much stirring would not give it a variegated color. 
If you put in much vermilion it will make it more than usually 
red. 

This soap makes a rich lather and can be made at 
a reasonable expense. Those who have used it claim 
that it makes the face appear smooth and clear. 

Shaving Oil. 

Put 1 pound of soft soap into a jar and add 1 quart of high proof 
cologne spirits. Set the jar in a vessel of boiling water until the 
soap is dissolved. Perfume with any essential oil to suit. 

For those troubled with pimples this is a good ar- 
ticle for shaving. It softens the skin and cures the 
humors. Two or three drops is enough for sha\ing. 
Rub it on the face with the fingers ; then dip the end 
of the brush in hot water and brush the face brisk- 
ly and it will raise a rich lather. 



60 Turkish Kouge. Freckle Lotion. 

Turkish Rouge. 

Take 3^ a pound of best Brazil wood, fine and of a golden red 
color, inluse 4 days in a quart of best wine vinegar. Boil them 
together for % an hour, strain through a fine cloth and place the 
liquid over the fire. Having in the meantime dissolved 4 ounces 
of alum m a pint of white wine vinegar, mix the two liquids and 
etir them together. The scum which now arises should be taken 
off and gradually dried and powdered. 

I would not recommend any lady to use rouge or 
paint tlie face, but have given the above for the ben- 
efit of those who are bound to have some artificial 
help to beautify the complexion. Here is something 
else much cheaper than the above : 

Infuse 1 ounce of alkernet in a pint of cologne spirits until it 
comes to the right shade of color. 

This may be applied to the cheeks with a linen 
cloth wet i» the mixture. It will easily wash off 
and cannot be detected on the face, which is one 
thing greatly in its fayor. 

Freckle Lotion. 

Take % a pound of clean ox gall, % a dram of camphor, X a 
dram of burned alum, 1 dram of borax, ££ an ounce of rock salt, 
and % art ounce of rock candy. This should be mixed and sha- 
ken well several times a day for a month, or until the gall becomes 
transparent. Then strain it carefully through filtering paper. — 
Apply it to the skin once a day and let it remain on about three 
hours, then wash it off and rub the skin with a towel first and 
then with the band. 

Great care should be used in making this article. 
If made properly it will not fail of its purpose. It 
removes tan and cures sun burned face and hands. 

If some energetic man would take hold of this, 
make up a lot of it, and advertise it as extensively 
as some patent medicines are advertised, he might 
sell a large quantity. As there are many who wish 



Extract of Vanilla, 61 

to remove their freckles and many who have tanned 
skin, it would sell readily and command a good price. 

A Wash for the Face. 

A few years since a learned chemist and physician 
gave me a recipe for making a harmless, useful and 
cheap wash for the skin. Many fair daughters may 
be pleased to make so desirable an addition to their 
toilet. 

A piece of gum tolu the size of a walnut thrown 
into a wash bowl of soft water, half an hour before 
using, will soften the skin, and after a few applica- 
tions, will remove, to a great extent, tan, freckles and 
roughness. The tolu imparts to the water an agree- 
able aromatic odor. Ten cents worth of this, with 
a cake of fine soap freely used, will be more effectu- 
al in beautifying a young lady's complexion than 
many costly and injurious cosmetics. 

The tolu may be kept in a china cup, and when 
used, the cup can be placed in the bowl of water, 
thus avoiding the trouble of removing the gum. 

Extract of Vanilla. 

This beautiful flavor is made by taking a quart of pure French 
brandy, cutting up fine 1 ounce of vanilla beans, and 2 ounces of 
Tongua bruised. Add these to the brandy, and let it digest for 2 
weeks, frequently shaking. Then filter carefully and it is ready 
for use. 

This article is in great demand for flavoring pies, 
cakes, puddings, &c, As it sells readily at a good 
price much money may be made by manufacturing 
and selling it. 



62 Liquid Oements. Soldering fluid. 

Transparent Crockery Cement. 

Take 1 pound of white shellac, pulverized, and 2 ounces of clean 
gum mastic. Put these into a bottle and add % a pound of pure 
sulphuric ether. Let it stand half an hour and then add >£ a gal- 
lon of 90 per cent, alcohol. Shake occasionally until it is dissolved. 
Heat the articles to he mended by holding "the edges in or near 
the blaze of a lamp or candle. Apply the cement with a pencil 
brush, and hold the articles firmly together until the cement cools. 

Liquid Cement. 

Cut g^im shellac in 90 per cent, alcohol; put in vials and it is 
ready for use. Apply it to the edge of the broken dish with a 
feather, and hold it as long as the cement will simmer in the 
blaze of a spirit lamp, then "join together even, and hold it until 
cold. 

The dish will break in any other place first, and 
is as strong as when new. 
Cheap and Useful Cement. 

Dissolve common salt in water — as much as the water will take 
up — and then thicken it with clean ashes till it becomes a mortar 
of temper for working. This will harden in a short time to firm 
cement. 

The above will be found useful to stop cracks in 
chimneys and stoves, the insertion of stove pipes, 
open joints in pipes, and ail places of the kind. 
Soldering Fluid. 

Mr. F. Oakley furnislies the following recipe for 
a soldering fluid which he says he has used for many 
years, always with success. It is endorsed by the 
first scientific men of the country: 

Two ounces muriatic acid, in which as much zinc is dissolved as 
it will hold, to which add % an ounce of sal ammoniac. Clean 
the metal well and the solder will run and adhere to any part of 
the metal to which the solution is applied. It will also solder 
brass and steel together. 

Oil Paste Blacking. 

'- Take 2 ounces of oil of vitriol, 5 ounces of tanners' oil, 1 pound 
of ivory-black, and 4 ounces of common sale molasses. Mix the 
vitriol and oil together and let it stand 2 or 3 days. Then add the 
ivory-black and molasses and stir the whole well together. Let 
it stand about a week and it is ready for use. 



Premium Blacking. Leather Varnish. 63 

This blacking is said to be superior to the other 
blackings in use, but as it contains vitriol some may 
prefer not to use it, although I think it will not in- 
jure leather as much as many of the blackings in 
common use. ^ 

Premium Blacking. 

Take of ivory black and treacle, each 12 ounces, spermaceti oil 
four ounces, white wine vinegar, four pints, mix. 

This Blacking has been recommended by scien- 
tific Lecturers and Professors. It gives leather a 
fine polish, and is better than almost any of the 
Blackings now in use, as they all contain sulphuric 
acid, (oil of vitriol), while this contains nothing inju- 
rious to the leather. 

Leather Varnish. 

To 1 quart of strong alcohol add % pound of gum shellac, 1 oz. # 
resin, and % oz. camphor. Set in a warm place "with frequent 
stirring for several days, or until all is dissolved; then add 2 oz. 
lamp black mixed with a little alcohol, — and it is ready for use, 
and good as the best. If too thick, thin with alcohol. 

The above will be found an excellent article for 
keeping harness bright and black, and also to pre- 
serve it from cracking. 

Cement for Leather. 

Dissolve 112 pounds of glue with 7 pounds of ammonia, set by 
fire or steam heat; stir them well, then add 7 pounds nitric acid. 
The mixture may be applied in either the liquid or solid state, 
and i+ can be applied as common glue is applied. If the metal 
is oily it does not prevent its adhesion. 

The above adhesive mixture to cement leather, 
india rubber, or other soft material to iron and other 
metals, was patented several years ago in England, 



64 Polishing Powder. Ice dream, 

and lias been sold for many times the price of this 
book. A smaller amount may be made by using 
the same proportions. 

Polishing Powder. 

For cleansing and polishing tin, britannia, Silver 
and brass ware, the following is highly recommended. 

Take 3^ a pound of pumice-stone ground, and % a pound of 
powdered red chalk. Mix evenly together. This is for tin, brass 
&c. For silver and other fine wares, use the same articles as 
above only use 4 parts of red chalk to 1 part of pumice-stone.— 
Be sure and mix them evenly before using. 

Us3 the articles dry with a piece of cloth or soft 
leather. This is one of the best cleansing powders 
ever invented. 

Bleaching Liquid. 

Take 4 ounces of nnslacked lime, and pour upon it 6 quarts of 
boiling water. After the lime is well slacked, stir it all up. When 
it has stood long enough to entirely settle, strain off the clear 
fluid, put in % a pound of sal soda and boil it a few minutes, so 
as to thoroughly dissolve the soda. Then take it off and let it 
cool. After it has settled strain the solution, and throw 7 away the 
dregs. Now cut up 10 ounces of common bar soap, and dissolve 
it in the solution by boiling. Great care should be taken that no 
particles of lime are poured in. 

For washing, put 6 or 8 gallons of water into the boiler and add 
to it 1 quart of* this liquid. The clothes must be put asoak the 
night before washing, taking care to rub all the stain and dirt 
spots with soap. Then boil them with the liquid for ^ aT1 hour 
or a little more. They are then to be taken out and put into a 
tub, and clear boiling water poured over them. Then rub them 
out, rinse well, and they are ready to be hung out to dry. 

Ice Cream. 

Take 2 quarts of new milk and 2 quarts of sweet cream, 2 
pounds of sugar, and 12 eggs. Dissolve the sugar in the milk and 
beat the eggs to a froth, and stir the whole well together. Then 
strain and bring to a scald but be careful and not burn it. When 
cool flavor with extract of vanilla or lemon. 

Pack the tin freezer in a deep tub with broken ice and salt.— 
Whirl the freezer and occasionally scrape down from the side 
what gathers on. The proportions are 1 quart of salt to 1 pail of 
ice. 



Farmer's lot Cream. Bed Bug Poison. 65 

Here is another by which the best ice cream may 
be made without a freezer, hence called the 

Farmer's Ice Cream Recipe. 

Take 2 quarts of fresh milk — if a little cream be added all the 
better, though ice cream as ordinarily made, is innocent of cream. 
Scald the milk, stirring in 3 tablespoonsful of corn starch to give 
it body. These may be omitted, if not at hand. Stir well to keep 
from burning. Beat up 4 to 8 eggs, according to convenience, or 
as a rich dish is wanted, and pour the scalded milk on the eggs, 
stirring well. When cold add sugar and essence of lemon, or ex- 
tract of vanilla, to suit. A very little salt also improves it. — 
Pour the cooled contents into a deep tin pail or can, holding about 
3 quarts ; put on the cover and set it in an ordinary wooden water 
pail. Pound up the ice to the size of a small hen's egg and less 
— some of course will be quite fine — pack it in around the tin can 
mixing in it about 1 pint of medium or fine salt. Pack it till it 
reaches nearly to the top of the can, but be careful none enters it. 
Now move the tin can or pail around by means of its bail, lifting 
the cover occasionally to scrape off the the frozen cream on the 
inside, so that other portious may come in contact with the freez- 
ing surface. 

Ice cream is always considered a luxury, but here- 
tofore supposed to be one not to be indulged in by 
farmers' families. Try the above and see if you need 
hereafter forego ice cream because no costly freezer is 
at hand. 

Whipped Ice Cream. 

To 1 quart of milk add 3 teaspoonsful of flour, stir it very smooth 
and boil over a slow fire till it is cooked. Set away to cool, then 
sweeten quite sweet, and flavor to your taste. To every quart add 
3 pints or 2 quarts of thick sweet cream. Whip the cream and 
mix it in. Judge by the taste whether it is flavored or sweeten- 
ed enough ; if not, add more, stirring it thoroughly, and then 
freeze. 

Philadelphia Ice Cream. 

Two quarts of sweet cream, 3 spoonfuls of arrow root, whites 
of 8 eggs, well beaten, and 1 pound, of loaf sugar. Boil the milk, 
thicken with the arrow root, and pour the whole on the eggs. — 
Flavor and freeze. The rule for freezing it is to use % salt and 
% ice, chopped fine. 

Bed Bug Poison. 

Take 1 pint of alcohol, 3 ounces sal ammoniac, 1 pint of spirits of 



66 Prepared Glue, 

turpentine, 3 ounces corrosive sublimate, and 4 ounces of cam- 
phor pm. Dissolve the camphor in the alcohol, then pulverize 
corrosive sublimate and sal ammoniac and add it, after which put 
in the spirits of turpentine and shake well together. 

This makes a first-raie Bed Bug Exterminator, 
and will sell readily at 25 or 50 cents per bottle. I 
am not aware that it is good for any thing only to 
kill bed bugs, but for that it is sure. I once knew 
a young chap who made up a quantity of it and 
went into a neighborhood where he was not ac- 
quainted, and sold it rapidly. Many would buy of 
him because he was a stranger in the place and they 
did not wish their neighbors to know they had bed 
bugs in the house, therefore did not want to buy 
bed bug medicine at the home drug store. 

Prepared Glue. 

Much money has been made selling " Prepared 
Glue," and the recipe for making it. I have select- 
ed a few of the recipes from which this prepared glue 
is made. These recipes I have bought of different 
persons in different parts of the country. I give a 
number so you can take your choice. 

Fill a bottle % full of good common glue, then fill up the bot- 
tle with whiskey. Cork it tight and let it stand about a week, 
when it will be ready for use. 

If kept well corked this will keep for years. All 
prepared glue and mucilage should be kept in a bot- 
tle, well corked. After using glue or mucilage take 
the small blade of your knife and clean the inside of 
the mouth of the bottle, so that when you put the 
cork in, it will not stick and bother you to get it out. 



Prepared (Hue, Moths. 67 

One advantage of keeping the glue or mucilage cork- 
ed, is that it prevents it from becoming thick, and 
thus is always ready for use. 

Dissolve 1 pound of best glue in 1% pints of water, then add 1 
pint of strong vinegar. 

This is one of the prepared glues extensively sold 
through the country. Another method of preparing 
glue is as follows : 

Take 1 quart of pure soft water and dissolve in it enough com- 
mon glue to make it as thick as you desire. Then put in jkf an 
ounce of nitric acid and stir it well. 

Gum arabic dissolved in just enough soft water to 
make it of the requisite thickness, makes good mucil- 
age for sealing letters and putting on labels. 

Glue can be made water proof as follows : 

Soak the desired quantity of best common glue in cold soft wa- 
ter until it becomes a little soft, which will probably be in about 
an hour. Take it from the water before it is so far dissolved as to 
lose its original form. Then dissolve it by a gentle heat, and at 
the same time pour in a little boiled linseed oil, and stir it well. 

If furniture men would use this in putting on ma- 
hogany veneers, their customers would have less rea- 
son to complain of its falling off. 

I have now given you the recipes that will enable 
you to make prepared glue as well and as good as 
those who have made fortunes by manufacturing and 
selling it. 

Moths. 

Moths mil not trouble your carpets if you rub 
salt and pepper around the edges and upon them. 

You can prevent moths from injuring clothing by 
placing a bar of yellow turpentine soap wrapped in 



68 Silver Solution. 

a thin paper in the trunk with your clothing. An 
open bottle of turpentine will answer the purpose, 
though there would be danger of its being upset. 

Another way to keep moths, beetles and worms 
from drawers and trunks where clothing is kept, is 
to do up a little piece of camphor gum in a piece of 
paper and put it in with the clothing. 

If your clothes closets have become infested with 
moths you may get rid of them by making a strong 
decoction of tobacco and applying it freely. Then 
sprinkle pretty freely with spirits of camphor. 

Whoever has fine furs can preserve them from 

moths by washing them with a solution of 12 grains 

of corrosive sublimate in a pint of warm water. The 

solution is poison and should therefore be kept where 

there can be no danger of its being used for anything 
else. 

Silver Solution. 

1st Cut into small pieces a 25 cent piece and put it into an earth- 
en vessel with half an ounce of nitric acid. 

2d. Put the vessel into warm water uncovered until the silver 
dissolves. 

3d. Add half a gill of water and 1 teaspoonful of fine salt; let 
it settle. 

4th. Drain off and repeat, adding water and draining off until 
the acid taste is all out of the water. 

5th. Add finally, about a pint of water to the sediment, 
also add 4 scruples of cyanide of potassa, and all is ready. 

6h. Put in the bottom of the solution a piece of zinc, about 
2 inches long and 1 inch wide, and }{ of an inch thick. After clean- 
ing, immerse the article to be plated in the solution about half 
a minute, letting it rest upon the zinc. 

7th. Wipe off with a dry cloth and repeat one or more times ac- 
cording to the thickness of the plate desired. After you have re- 
peated till the plate is thick enough, polish with buckskin. 



Hunter's Secret Kid Gloves. 69 

Hunters' Secret. 

If you wish to be successful in catching game, 

mink, muskrat, raccoon, otter, etc. : 

Take 1 ounce of valerian and % of an ounce of musk. Put them 
into a pint of whiskey and let it stand a month. Put a few drops 
of this on your bait. 

An old hunter gave me this recipe and said it 
would be of great use to hunters. He had used it 
for years with good success. 

Kid Gloves. 

The best way to clean kid gloves is as follows : 

Fold a clean towel two or three times and spread the glove on 
it smooth and neat. Then take a piece of flannel and dip it into 
new milk, and rub on to the flannel a good quantity of brown 
soap. With this rub the glove downward towards the fingers, 
holding the glove in its place with one hand. Continue rubbing 
till the glove is sufficiently cleaned. At first yoii may think you 
have spoiled the glove, but lay it by to dry and if it has been well 
cleaned it will 60on look nearly as good as new, and be soft and 
smooth. 

Here is another method : 

Lay them on a clean board, and first rub the surface gently with 
a clean sponge and some camphene, or a mixture of camphene 
and alcohol. Now dip each glove into a cup containing the cam- 
phone, lift it out, squeeze it in the hand, and blow into it to puff 
mt the fingers, when it may be hung up to dry, This operation 
should not be conducted near to a fire, owing to the inflammable 
nature of the camphene vapor. 

I am told that French kid gloves may be nicely 
cleaned as follows: 

Put the gloves on your hands and wash them in spirits of tur- 
pentine the same as though you were washing your hands. When 
you have got them quite clean, take them off and hang them up 
in a current of air or in a warm place. All smell of turpentine 
will soon be removed . 

This method was practiced in Paris for a long time 
before being introduced to this country. As soon as 
introduced in this country a few individuals in some 
of our large cities advertised to clean kid gloves, and 



70 Cheap Paint. 

by keeping the method a secret, they ware enabled to 

make money. 

To Color Kid Gloves. 

Take a handful of logwood and put it into just enough alcohol 
to cover it. Let it soak 2 or 3 days. Put on one glove, and having 
wet it all over with the above preparation, rub it hard with a 

gfece of sponge till it shines. This will make it a nice purple. — 
■epeat the process and it will be black. 

Cheap Paint. 

Take 11 pounds of dry lime, sifted fine ; 1 gallon of water, 1 
gallon of linseed oil, raw or boiled ; % pound of potash dissolve 
in a pint of water ; which can easiest be done by heating in a ket- 
tle over the fire. First mix the lime and water, which will ap- 
pear much like hasty pudding ; then add your oil and potash wa- 
ter; mix thoroughly, and if the oil and water unite it is ready for 
use ; if not, a little more potash water must added to cut the oil. 
Use no more potash than is necessary, for this purpose. Put on 
with a paint brush, as other paint. It "will appear much thicker 
than ordinary oil paint, but it will lay easy in this condition. 

A painter who for the last three years has used this 
preparation on first class houses says that but few 
persons can see any deficiency in it. It wears well, 
and costs less than half as much as an oil paint. It 
has been sold at various times to painters and others 
at prices ranging from $5 to $25. 

Wash for Fences, &c. 

This recipe will come in play at every "cleaning" 
season. It is endorsed by the Chemical Gazette 
as far superior to the common whitewash, both in ap- 
pearance and durability. 

Take a clean, water-tight barrel or other suitable. cask, and put 
into it }£ a bushel of lime. Slack it by pouring boiling water up- 
on it, and in sufficient quantity to cover 5 inches deep, stirring it 
till thoroiighly slackened. When slacking has been effected, dis- 
solve in water and add 2 pounds of sulphate of zinc, and 1 of 
common salt. These will cause the wash to harden, and prevent 
it cracking which gives an unseemly appearance to the work. 

If desired, a beautiful cream color is communicated to the above 
wash by adding three pounds of yellow ochre, or a good pearl or 



Cure for Snake and Insect Poison. Glass. 71 

lead color by the addition of lamp black or ivory black. For fawn 
color,add 4 pounds umber— Turkish or American— (the latter is the 
cheaper,) 1 potmd of Indian red, and 1 pound of lamp black. This 
wash may be applied with a whitewash brush, and will be found 
much superior, both in appearance and durability to common 
whitewash. 

Cure for Snake and Insect Poison. 

This is the Smithsonian antidote for snake and 
insect poison and is worth, alone, ten times the price 
of this book. 

Ten grains of iodide of of potassium. 

Thirty grains of iodine. 

One ounce of water, the solvent. 

To be kept in a vial with a ground glass stopper, and applied 
externally to the wound. It is not to he taken as a medicine in- 
ternally." In using it, no time is to be lost, as death often ensues 
from a snake bite in fifteen minutes. Bites usually are inflicted 
on the hands or feet; and when this is the case, the first thing to 
be done is to stop the circulation of it with the blood, by apply- 
ing a ligature to the leg or arm above the wound. A pocket 
handkerchief, the suspender, a piece of rope or a strip of bark in 
an emergency can be used; and a gun, umbrella, or walking stick 
or a limb of a tree, or axe helve, can be made a tourniquet to 
tighten the bandage. Then saturate a piece of cotton batting, 
sponge, a lock of wool or anything that will hold the fluid, with 
the antidote and sponge the bite with it and bind it to it, keeping 
it wet with it until it effects a cure, which it will do in an hour, 
and sometimes instantly. If practicable, a cupping glass should 
be applied, and the antidote should be placed, upon the blister; 
but as bites are usually inflicted upon the fingers or toes, or 
among the tendons and bones of the wrists, ankles, or protuber- 
ances of the feet and hands, the process of cupping is frequently 
impossible. The antidote is so complete that five drops of undi- 
luted poison from the fangs of a rattlesnake, mixed with five drops 
of the antidote, and inserted in a wound with a syringe was found 
by experiment to be as harmless as ten drops of water. 

Glass. 

The common way of cleaning glass bottles is to put in a few 
small shot with soap and warm water. As a usual thing this is 
undoubtedly as good a method as any but it sometimes happens 
that there is a hardened crust on the inside of the bottle which 
cannot be easily removed. This crust may be softened by putting 
in a little soda or pearlash. In using shot in this way some care 
must be taken or you may shake them hard enough to break the 
bottle. If the shot become wedged together in the bottle, take 
a stiff wire and loosen them. 

Charcoal left in a bottle for a short time will remove all disa- 
greeable smell. 

Fine coals put into a bottle with shot and water as above will 
aid in cleaning. 



72 To Eemove Gall Stones, Black Balve. 

It frequently happens that glass stoppers become fixed in bot- 
tles and are not readily removed without breaking the bottle or 
stopper or both. Sometimes the stopper may be loosened by put- 
ting some salad oil in the groove between the stopper and the bot- 
tle. Thea put it in a warm place and let it alone for an hour or 
two so that the heat may cause the oil to insinuate itself between 
the stopper and the neck of the bottle. Then if you cannot pull 
the stopper out gently strike the stopper first on one side and then 
on the other with any little piece of wood. Be careful and not 
strike so hard as to break the glass. If you cannot yet remove 
the stopper, put more oil in the groove as before and after letting 
it stand awhile try again. Altogether likely you will succeed af- 
ter a few trials, but possibly you may not because the stopper 
may be an imperfect one. 

Another way, is to wet a piece of cloth in hot water, and put it 
around the neck of the bottle. Take hold of the stopper immedi- 
ately and try to get it out. You must, in this case work lively, 
for if the heat is allowed to expand ; the stopper as well as the 
neck of the bottle, no benefit is derived. If you are successful 
in this, it will be by getting the stopper out after the heat has ex- 
panded the neck of the bottle, but before it has had time to ex- 
pand the stopper. 

If you are so unfortunate as to get some grease on your win- 
dow, you can readily wash it off with a little spirits of turpentine. 
If you attempt to wash it off with water, very likely you will 
spread it all over the glass and perhaps, you may feel a little an- 
gry. Try the turpentine and keep your temper. 

If you wish to break a piece of glass and have no diamond to 
to cut it as you desire, try the following: 

File a little notch in the edge of the glass. Then take a small 
iron rod and heat it red hot. Commence at the notch and draw 
the red hot iron slowly along the surface of the glass in the direc- 
tion you wish. This will crack the glass and you can easily 
break it. 

Some care is necessary in packing glass or china ware to be sent 
to another place. Get some hay, or soft straw will do. Have it 
a little damp but not much wet. Put in plenty of the hay and 
pa ck the heavy pieces at the bottom. Be sure and pack them 
tight in order that they may not 6lip about and get broken. 

To Remove Gall Stones. 

At the moment of getting into bed, drink from one table-spoon' 
ful to one gill of pure sweet oil. It may be necessary to continue 
this, till a gallon of oil is used, in many cases a much less quantity 
will effect a cure. If the oil does not move the bowels next day, 
take a little senna tea, or if feverish and restless, senna and salt, 
or castor oil. 

Black Salve. 

Take one quart of vinegar and three leaves of tobacco. Sim- 
mer to one pint. Add six ounces of lard, six ounces of beeswax, 
six ounces of rosin, and one gill of rum. Simmer to a salve, but 
b9 rery careful and not ltt it burn, 



Catarrh Snuff. To Ourfe Felons. 73 

A. W. Fenner, M. D., my preceptor, used this 
salve for curing fever sores and other old sores. He 
was very successful. I know of quite a number of 
cases that he treated successfully. He said the salve 
was the best he had ever used and he never had a case 
of failure where the patient used the salve thoroughly, 
and purified the blood. 

Catarrh Snuff. 

Pulverize together equal parts of blood root, gum myrrh *ttd 
gum arabic. 

This makes as good catarrh snuff as any you can 
buy. 

To Cure Felons. 

Apply the spinal marrow of an ox or cow once in 4 honra for t 
days. 

Another method : 

As soon as it becomes apparent that a felon is making its ap- 
pearance, which is known by a continued soreness and pain pro- 
ceeding from the bone, and sometimes evincing but little change 
for the worse for a week or two, take a strong cord of any kind 
and wrap it around the finger above the afflicted part, as tightly 
as can be borne. Keep it in this condition until the pain can be 
endured no longer. Now loosen the cord and as soon as the pain 
caused by the cording subsides, tighten it again. Continue this 
for several days, or until the felon is completely blackened and 
killed. 

The cording stops the circulation and thus the 
sore has nothing to feed on, and soon dies of starva- 
tion. Even after the felon has made considerable 
progress, this remedy may effect a cure. 

If the felon is not too far advanced, it may sometimes be cured 
by holding the finger in hot water or weak ley for an hour at a 
time two or three times a day. 

Steep 2 ounces of fine cut tobacco, in half a pint of sweet oil. 
Apply it freely tp the place where the felon is making its appel- 
ate*. 



74 Medicinal loot Beer. 

This use of tobacco is much bertter than to steep 
it in your mouth. 

Medicinal Root Beer. 

Take a sufficient quantity of sassafras root, burdock root, wild I 
cherry tree bark of the root, root of black alder, and spice wood 
or fever bush. Make a strong decoction by boiling several hours. 
Then strain and sweeten with molasses or honey. When it is blood 
warm add sufficient yeast to produce fermentation. As soon as 
it commences to ferment it is fit for use. 

This may be taken freely as a diet drink. It is 
very pleasant and excellent to prevent disease and to 
keep the system in a healthy state. It is grateful 
and cooling in all kinds of fevers. Some like it bet- 
ter with a little ginger and hops added. 

Everybody knows that in the haying or harvest 
fields, during the heat of summer, something may 
be supplied to quench the raging thirst, more effect- 
ual, more grateful, and more healthy than cold wa- 
ter. But few have the formula at hand for making 
the most healthy and cooling beverage. Here is one 
that is both healthful and grateful to the palate : 

White Spruce Beer. 

Mix together 3 pounds of loaf f?ugar, 5 gallons of water, a cup 
of good yeast, adding a small piece" of lemon peel, and enough of 
the essence of spruce to give it a flavor. When fermented pre- 
serve in close bottles. Molasses or common brown sugar can be 
used if necessary instead of loaf, and the lemon peel left out. — 
Sometimes when unable to obtain the essence of spruce, we have 
boiled down the twigs. 

Here is another invigorating drink especially ad- 
apted to the harvest field, of less pretensions, and 
the constituent parts of which are always at hand in 
every house : 



Small Boers, &c 75 

Harvest Drink. 

Mingle together 5 gallons of water, }£ gallon molasses, 1 quart 
vinegar, and 2 ounces powdered ginger. 

The following is old, but none the worse for that. 
Our grandmother was famous throughout her neigh- 
borhood for the excellence of the beer she used to 
keep on hand during the spring and summer, and 
no neighbor ever left her humble cottage without 
having taken a glass of her "home brewed." And 
she was indebted to her beer for many a friendly and 
neighborly call, though of course no one would have 
owned up the fact. But however that may have 
been, this was her recipe for 

Root Beer. 

Mix together a small amount of sweet fern, sarsaparilla, win- 
tergreen, sassafras, Princess pine, and spice wood. Boil them 
with 2 or 3 ounces of hops, and 2 or 3 raw potatoes pared and 
sliced in 3 or 4 gallons of water. After boiling 5 or 6 hours, strain 
off the liquor, and add to it common molasses in the proportion 
of 1 quart to 3 gallons of the beer. If it is too thick, dilute it 
with water. A K pound of browned bread added to the liquor, 
will increase its richness. 

A very good, palatable, wholesome beer may be 
obtained from acorns and hops. It is slightly spark- 
ling, eminently tonic, and a febrifuge, and for want 
of a better name we may call it a 

i Cheap Beer. 

! Steep a quantity of acorns in water for 15 or 20 days, renewing 
the water 4 or five times. Transfer them to a cask and add a 
i handful of hops; fill up the cask with water, and lightly cover, 
(not stop, the bunghole, as there is an escape of gas. In 15 or 20 
idays the beer is fit for use; and as fast as it is drawn off fresh wa- 
ter may be poured on. The cost is less than 3-pence per gallon, 
lit would supply 4 or 5 persons for 8 months with a very excellent 
! beverags. 



76 Small Bfttt*, Ac. 

The following recipe will make a cooling and de- 
lightful beverage for summer. It is called 
Temperance Beer. 

Take 3 pounds of brown sugar with \)4 pints of molasses, 4 
ounces tartaric acid, 2 teaspoon fuls. of essence of sassafras— mix 
in 2 quarts of boiling water, strain it and cool, when it is fit for 
use. Take 2 tablespoonfuls for a tumbler % full of water, add a 
half teaspoonful of soda. 

Try the following and see if it will not pay well 
for the trouble : 
Cream Beer. 

To 1 gallon of warm water take 2 tablespoonfuls of tartaric 
acid 1 bowl of good brown or coffee sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls o: 
ginger, and 1 cup of yeast. Let stand over night, and it is fitfoi 
use by adding a small quantity of soda as you drink. 

Here is another : 
Ginger Beer. 

To a pail half filled with boiling water add 1 pint of molasse 
and 2 spoonfuls of ginger; when well stirred fill the pail with cob 
water, leaving room for 1 pint of yeast, which must not be put u 
until the preparation becomes luke warm. Place it on a warn 
hearth for the night, and bottle in the morning. 

The following used to be a standard drink in ai 
"well regulated families." when "baking and brew- 
ing " always went together : 
Common Small Beer. 

Add to a pailful of water a handful of hops, a pint of bran, % 
pint of molasses, a cup of yeast, and 1 large spoonful of sugar. 

When you cannot find anything any better (an( 
you cannot under any ordinary circumstances), tr; 
the following, and if you don't say it is good, it wil 
not be the fault of the recipe. 
Cream Soda. 

To 1 gallon of water add 5 pounds of loaf sugar, 1 ounce Epso> 
salts 1 ounce cream of tartar and 5 ounces tartaric acid. Bo 
the preparation well, skimming off the refuse matter accumuli 



ting upon the surface. After cooling, set it away in bottles in 
a cool place. When desiring soda dnnks, put 2 or 3 tablespoon- 
fuls of this 6yrup in a tumbler % full of -water; add % of a tea- 
spoonful of super-carbonate of soda; 6tir briskly, and the effer- 
vesence will be equal to that from fountain soda. The Epsom 
salts, cream of tartar, tartaric acid, and super-carbonate of soda 
I can be purchased for a small sum at any drug store. 

Milk. 

When you give milk to children let it be sweet, 
and if new, all the better. A very small quantity 
of loaf sugar may be put into the milk. 

A spoonful of scraped horse-radish put into a pan 
of milk will keep it sweet many days longer than it 
will keep without the radish. 

If you wish to keep milk sweet for a long time, 
observe the following directions : 

Get some bottles and have them perfectly clean and dry. Draw 
the milk directly from the cow into the bottles, and cork them as 
soon as full. Tie the corks down with strong cord or wire. Then 
put some straw in the bottom of a boiler and place the bottles on 
it with straw between them. Fill the boiler nearly full of cold 
water and bring it to a boil, but do dot allow it to boil more than 
a minute. Take the fire from under the boiler and let it gradually 
cool. When cold take the bottles out and pack them in saw dust 
and put them away in a cold place. 

Milk preserved in this manner and kept where it 
will not get warm, will keep sweet a year or more. 

When milk or cream has become slightly soured, 
it may be sweetened by putting in a very little car- 
bonate of magnesia. A very little saleratus put in 
will sweeten it, but it injures the flavor of the milk. 

It is said that morning's milk is the richest, yield- 
ing much more cream than that milked at night. If 
you milk a c$w at noon the milk will not be as good 
as you would get from the same cow in the morning 



7$ •ajous. Ie*it 

or evening. For making butter and cheese many 
use the morning's milk, and take the evening's milk 
for domestic use. 

For a wholesome, pleasant beverage, use milk and 
water. It is much better than the more expensive 
summer drinks. 

Castor oil may be made palatable by boiling it 
with an equal quantity of milk, and then sweetening 
it with white sugar. Stir it well and let it cool. 

Onions. 

The following is considered by many very good : 

Take two or three good siaed onions and after you have peeled 
and sliced them, put them into a quart stew-pan with just a little 
water. Cover the pan and put it over a slow fire till the water 
has boiled away and the onions are browned. Then add about % 
a pint of good beef gravy and boil until the onions are tender. — 
Season with pepper and salt or whatever you choose. Then stir 
it and mash the onions. Then pour it into a dish, to be eaten on 
broiled beef steak. 

For an ordinary cold on the chest use this prepa- 
ration : 

Sew % a dozen white onions in an old piece of white muslin, 
and pound with a hammer until all are crushed and the muslin 
moist with the juice. Wear on the chest all night and avoid ex- 
posure next day. 



Yeast. 

As you may sometime have occasion to make some 
yeast, I will here give a good recipe. 

On Monday morning boil 2 ounces of hops in 1 gallon of water 
for about an hour. Then strain and let it stand until about blood 
warm. Now put in * little salt and % a pound of sugar. Then 
take 1 pound of good flour and beat it up in some of the above 
prepared liquor. Then stir the whole together and set it near the 
fire. Stir it frequently for 2 or 3 days ana keep it in a warm place 
all the time. Then add %M pounds of mealy boiled potatoes well 
mashed. Let it stand by the fire or in a warm place another day, 
not forgetting to stir it frequently. Then strain it and put it up 






Wiitewaafc, 79 

in largo bottles. Keep it in a cool plaee and glre the bottle a 
good shaking before using. 

This will keep for two or three months and be bet- 
ter than when first made. It ferments readily with- 
out other yeast. I have seen another recipe very 
much like this but not proportioned correctly. Those 
who have used the other and failed can use this andf 
not fail. If you are in a hurry you can use the fol- 
lowing for making yeast quickly : 

Take a pint of new milk, a teaspoonful of salt and a large 
spoonful of flour. Stir them together and set it in a warm place. 
In one hour it will be ready for use. It will not keep long so you 
must use it as soon as made. Twice the quantity of commoB 
yeast is required for use. 

Another good way to make yeast is : 

Take }$ a pound of good flour and 3 ounces of brown sugar, and 
a sufficient quantity of salt. Put them into a gallon of water and 
boil for 1 hour. Before it is fairly cold i>ut it into a bottle and 
cork it. In 24 hour it will be fit for use. 

The above is the right proportion. If you want 
to make more, take a larger quantity only keep the 
same proportion. 

Whitewash. 

Take a sufficient quantity of unslacked lime. Pour on boiling 
water and keep it covered while slacking to keep the steam in.— 
When this is done, strain it through a fine sieve and add a little 
salt that has been dissolved in water. Then add a little common 
wheat flour in warm water, and if you add a little gum arabic dis- 
solved in warm water, it will be all the better. Stir the whole 
well and let it stand a few days when it is ready for use. 

It is best to make it in an iron kettle, and warm 
it when you are ready to use it. It should not be 
very hot, but it should be at least blood warm, and 
if a little warmer it will do no harm. This is a su- 
perior wash because it does not easily rub off. Fer 



80 Whitewash 

this reason it is excellent to whitewash fences. If 
you have a very nice job to do, you will need a 
small nice brush, but for all common work a large 
or common brush will do. 

I am told this wash is very lasting. Those who 
do not want a pure white can make it any shade of 
color they please h? putting in some coloring matter, 
dissolve the coloring matter in a little alcohol and 
stir it into the wash. You must consult your own 
taste as to what color you will have. Spanish 
brown stirred in will make a pink more or less deep 
according to the quantity used. Many think a del- 
icate tinge of this beautiful for inside walls. Com- 
mon clay finely pulverized and well mixed with 
Spanish brown makes a reddish stone color. Yel- 
low ochre stirred in makes a yellow wash, but chrome 
goes ahead of it and makes a color that nearly every 
one considers more beautiful. In all cases where 
you add coloring matter, the darkness of the shade 
is determined by the amount of coloring matter used. 
No definite rules can be given, because tastes are so 
much different. Before using, you had better try 
experiments on a shingle or some old wall, and let it 
dry. If the color does not suit you, try different 
proportions of the coloring matter till you get what 
pleases you. 

Never mix any green with lime for these reasons : 
The lime destroys the color, and the color has an ef- 



fisflUaat Whitewash. Egg* 81 

feet on tjie whitewash which makes ic crack and peel 
off. Inside walls are frequently much smoked and 
consequently dark. In such cases it is well to 
squeeze indigo through a bag into the water you use 
before stirring it into the mixture. This will make 
the walls appear clean, and a clear white. A little 
blue vitriol, pulverized and dissolved in warm water 
and added to the whitewash, gives a beautiful blue 
tint. Do not put in much of the vitriol. 

The east end of the President's house in Wash- 
ington is said to be whitewashed with the following : 

Slack % a bushel office unslacked lime with boiling water. — 
Cover it while slacking to keep the steam in. Then strain the 
liquid through a fine sieve or strainer, and add to it a peck of salt 
previously dissolved in warm water, and 3 pounds of good rice 
boiled to a thin paste should be stirred in boiling hot. Tut in al- 
so % a pound of powdered Spanish whiting, and a pound of clean 
white glue, which has been previously dissolved by soaking it well, 
and then hang it over a slow fire in a small kettle within a 
large one filled with water. Add five gallons of water to the mix- 
ture. Stir it well and let it stand a few days covered so dirt can- 
not get in. More than the above quantity can be made after the 
same proportion. It should be put on hot. 

The same rules of coloring given after the other 
recipe will work equally well with this. 

Eggs. 

Hens will lay much better if you put a little cay- 
enne pepper in their food two or three times a week. 
Try it. 

If you are doubtful whether an egg is good or bad 
put it into a pail of water, and if good, it will lie on 
its side ; but if bad, it will stand on one end. Usu- 
ally the large end will be uppermost, unless it has 

D3 



*2 Sggfl. 

been shaken considerably, in which case it will stand 
on either end. 

I presume every good cook knows how to fry eggs, 
but not every one has tried the following way. 

Break 3 eggs into a cup of milk, add 1 tablespoonful of fine flour 
and stir well ; or, what is still better, beat the eggs and flour to- 
gether and then stir in the milk. Then pour into a dish in which 
there is enough butter already hot. Let it cook slow and when 
one side is done turn it over and fry on the other side. 

The following mode of pickling eggs is said to be 
good, and those who have tried the plan think oth- 
ers would try it if they had any idea how good it is. 

Boil the eggs at least ten minutes so as to be sure they are 
boiled hard, and then take the shells off. When they are cold, 
put them up in jars and pour on them enough vinegar to cover 
them, in which has been boiled the usual epices for pickling. Tie 
the jars down tight with bladder and keep them until they begin 
to change color. They are excellent to be eaten with cold meat. 

One way to preserve eggs is as follows : 

Apply a solution of gum arabic with a brush to the shells, ta- 
king care to cover the whole surface and then let them dry, after 
which pack them in dry charcoal dust. 

There are many other methods adopted to preserve 
eggs, here is one : 

The eggs to be preserved should be kept in a cool place, and 
something put around them to keep the air out. Put into a tub 
or vessel 1 bushel of quick lime, 2 pounds of salt, % a pound of 
cream tartar, and mix together with as much water as will reduce 
the composition or mixture to that consistency that will cause 
an egg when put into it to swim with its top just above the liq- 
uid. Then put and keep the eggs.therein. 

It is said that eggs may thus be kept good for two 
years, but I have not seen it tried and cannot there- 
fore vouch for the correctness of the statement. The 
following hints will be of service : 

It is pretty generally known that eggs keep longer by placing 
the small ends downward and keeping them in that position. — 
Be sure and have new laid eggs to deposit for keeping, not allow- 
ing them to becouiu damp. Keep them cool In summer and do 



To Keep Grapes Varm'sk $8 

not let them freeze in winter. In order to keep the eggs standing 
with the large ends up, take an inch board large enough for the 
purpose, and bore it full of holes far enough apart so that the 
eggs will not touch each other, and of the right size so that the 
little end of an egg can rest in it. Then put this board in a cool 
cellar and place the eggs in the holes with the small ends down. 
Put the eggs in these holes the same day they are laid. This plan 
has the recommendaaion of being convenient and simple. 

To Keep Grapes. 

Select them carefully, taking only good bunches and remove all 
that are bruised or unsound. Place them in a box, a layer com- 
posed of two or three thicknesses of paper or cotton between each 
layer of bunches. Put the boxes in a cool room but not cold 
enough to freeze the grapes, though a slight frost will not hurt 
them much. 

Varnish. 

Varnishes for different purposes are prepared in 
different ways. I will give a few of the most useful. 

If you want to make a varnish simply to prevent 
iron from rusting, proceed as follows : 

Melt together 1 part of resin and 2 parts of tallow. Strain be- 
fore it gets cold. While warm, but not hot, apply a thin coat to 
any article and lay it away in a chest, trunk or box where it will 
not be disturbed, but if you want the article in a place where it 
will be handled or moved around much this is not first-rate. 

A very cheap and durable varnish for rough work 
may be made by mixing 

50 parts (by weight) of raw linseed oil, 2 parts of litharge and 1 
part of white vitriol. Boil the whole together until enough has 
evaporated to make the preparation thick enough to be used as 
a varnish. 

To make a good varnish for tools and iron you 
wish to leave in places exposed to dampness, try 
this: 

In the first place, get a tin can large enough for the purpose, 
and have it made strong and tight so that it may be corked. Put 
in 1 gallon of alcohol, 2~pounds of gum sandarach, and 4 ounces 
of gum mastic. All this should till the can only half or two-thirds 
full. Cork it tight, and set it in a warm place. Shake it thor- 
oughly two or three times a day, and when the gums are well dis- 
solved it is ready for use. If in a hurry you can dissolve the gums 
sooner by placing the can in a kettle of hot water. If you flo this, 



U Silfc 

It will 1)6 necessary to take the can out and shake It everv few 
mil it«ja. 

(Jopai varnish may be prepared to varnish iron, 
steel &c, by adding an ounce of linseed oil to a pint 
of the varnish and then putting in half a pint of 
spirits of turpentine. 

For varnishing grates : 

Melt 4 pounds of common asphaltum and while warm add 1 
quart of linseed oil, 4 ounces of dark gum umber. Boil slightly 
lor 1 hour, then add 1 gallon of turpentine and mix well. If too 
thick, more turpentine may be added. 

To varnish steel so as to give it a blue appear- 
ance as though highly tempered, simply add a little 
Prussian blue to common Demar or copal varnish, 
and then apply one or two coatings in the usual way. 
By putting more or less Prussian blue you can make 
it more or less blue. Demar varnish being more 
transparent, is preferable to copal. 

Silk. 

When black silk is faded you can easily revive 
the color thus : 

Take % a pound of logwood chips and boil in 1 gallon of water 
for % an hour. Then strain, and put the silk in. Let it simmer 
about 20 minutes, then take it out and let it dry. Now put a lit- 
tle blue vitriol into the dye and stir it about live minutes while 
gently boiling. Then let it cool, and put the silk in. Put it over 
the tire and bring it to a heat just sufficient to make it Bimmer, 
and keep it so for half an hour and your work is done. 

Another method : 

Put a large handful of fig leaves into 2 quarts of water and boil 
until it is reduced to a pint. Then strain through a cloth. Do 
the leaves up in the cloth and squeeze out all the dye you can. 
Put it into a bottle and keep it corked, so that you may have it 
for use at any time you please. Sponge the silk with it. 

If you have an old silk dross that has lost much 
of its good looks, take it carefully apart and put it 



Blot. 8* 

into * tub of r«nrA roin wo+^r. T^ it lay lliere three 

hours and then dip it up and down a few times, but 
do not squeeze it or ring it. Hang it up to drain 
and let it drain until nearly dry, but before it is quite 
dry take it down and iron it smoothly. You will 
find you have greatly improved its looks. 

If you have a very fine silk dress and have been 
bo unfortunate as to get a disagreeable looking grease 
spot on it in a conspicuous place, you undoubtedly 
wish some way of removing the grease without in- 
jury to the dress. A lady who ought to know tells 
me the following way is as good as any : 

First lay a piece of woolen cloth upon a table, and lay the part 
greased smoothly on with the right side downwards. Then lay a 

Eiece of common brown paper on top, and apply a flat iron just 
ot enough to scorch the paper. Do not let the iron remain more 
than 6 seconds. Then briskly rub the stained part with a piece 
of dry paper. 

If the color has been removed from silk by acid, 
it may usually be restored by applying a little aqua 
ammonia. Spirits of turpentine or alcohol are good 
to remove stains from silk. 

Silk should never be kept folded in white paper, 
because it injures the color of the silk. 
Rice. 

For a change it may be pleasant to have occasion- 
ally a loaf of rice bread. Try this : 

Put 1 pound of rice into J£ a gallon of water, and boil it gently, 
6tirriug it frequently, until it is soft enough to be beaten into a 
paste. This being done, before it gets cold put it into sufficient 
flour and at the same time add the usual quantity of yeast. Then 
go through the process of bread making in the usual way. 

This makes excellent white bread. 



86 To Stop Bleeding. 

Rice Jelly for the Sick. 

In selecting your rice be sure you get some that 
has a clear fresh look. The best rice is large. Old 
rice sometimes has a black insect inside the kernel. 
Before you buy, see if it looks clear. 

Mix equal parts, by weight, of clean rice and white sugar; or, if 
you want it sweeter use more sugar. Boil and stir it until you 
have a glutinous mass. Then strain and you can season with 
whatever you please. 

To Stop Bleeding. 

It is not very often that we have an occasion to 
use any remedy to stop bleeding, but it is well to 
kno w how to do it, in order that me may be prepar- 
ed in case of necessity. 

In the first place, cover the wound profusely with cobwebs, or 
flour, or salt; either of these are good, alone. Sometimes it may 
be necessary to mix together salt and dry flour. Don't be foolish 
enough to let your physician make you think you have more 
blood than you need, and therefore bleed you. In slight wounds 
the blood may be easily stopped as above, but in case of excessive 
bleeding cobwebs may* not do the work. If the wound is severe 
and the blood comes in jets or spurts, an artery is severed, and 
unless you work fast the patient may die in few minutes. In 
such a case be spry as y6u can. Tie a handkerchief around near 
the wound but between the wound and the heart. Let the hand- 
kerchief be loose enough so that you can put a stick between it 
and the skin. Do this, and twist it around until the blood ceases 
to flow. Keep it there until the doctor comes. If the wound 
happens to be where a handkerchief cannot be used, press with the 
thumb between the heart and the wound, and increase the pres- 
sure until the blood ceases to flow. Do not lessen the pres- 
sure for an instant. Be sure and get a physician as soon as pos- 
sible. 

Stye on the Eyelid. 

If you have ever had one stye it is quite likely 
you do not want another. Therefore, as soon as 
you feel one coming put a teaspoonful of black tea 
in a small bag, and pour onto it just enough hot 



... 

Chapped Hand*, 87 

water to moisten it, While pretty warm put it on 
the eye and keep it there all nighf. Tie a hand- 
kerchief around the head so as to hold the bag of 
tea in its place. If you wake, and can do it, it will 
be best to moisten the tea with warm water two or 
three times during the night. It is very likely 
that when morning comes no stye will be there, but 
if it has not gone another application will take it 
away. 

How to Hold a Sick Person. 

Whenever it becomes necessary for you to move 
or hold a sick person, do not grasp him with the 
tip ends of your finger. If you are to support any 
part of the body^do it with the whole breadth of the 
hands, in order to not press into the flesh. 

Chapped Hands. 

I will give a few recipes for curing Chapped 
hands, and you can select just which you please. 

Wash your hands as clean as you can, and instead of using a 
towel to dry them, put the hands into some oat meal and rub 
them the same as though you were washing them in water. If 
they are very badly chapped it will be well to use a little oat 
meal instead of soap in the water. 

The following is said to be a sure cure for chap- 
ped hands. 

Wash the hands clean with warm water and then wipe them 
dry with a towel, then grease them with mutton tallow, and rub 
the grease in before the fire. Do this just before going to bed, 
and put on a pair of gloves, in order to avoid greasing the bed 
clothes. Practice this for a few days, or as long as necessary. It 
will cure the hands and make them soft, white and smooth. 

Washing them in vinegar is also recommended. 



88 HowtoGet&lofe 

before tney are dry take a piece of hard soap in the 
hands and rub enough of the soap on to make quite 
a thick coating. Let it dry on and leave it til the 
next morning. Many practice this to make then- 
hands white. It is a simple and very good way of 
doing it. 

To Clear a Room of Mosquitoes. 

Take of gum camphor a piece about % the size of an egg, and 
evaporate it by placing it in a tin vessel and holding it over a lamp 
or candle, taking care that it does not ignite. The smoke will 
soon fill the room and expel the mosquitoeu. 

How to Get Rich. 

There is no doubt that the whole human family 
have a desire to accumulate sufficient wealth to make 
them comfortable in life. I will give some rules and 
hints which will be of service if observed, although 
they will be of little use unless combined with ener- 
gy, good judgment, perseverance and economy. All 
who read them may not become rich, yet I will say 
that if you ever get rich, and retain your wealth for 
any length of time, you must practice upon the prin- 
ciples here laid down. 

The remarks are not original with me, but they 
are so good I will give them a place in this book. — 
I heartily commend them to the attention of every 
young man just starting out in life. I think they 
afford the true secret of attaining wealth. A single 
perusal of this essay may be the means of making 



ffow to Get Biofr. 8t 

gome of my readers men of wealth and influence who, 
if they had not read it, would have lived and died 
poor. 

We are told that fortune is a fickle dame full of freaks and ca- 
prices; who blindly distributes her favors without the least dis- 
crimination or regard to the worthiness of her favored ones. She 
is represented to be so inconsistent and wavering that her most 
faithful votaries can place no reliance on the fair promises she 
makes. Disappointment, they tell us, is the lot of those who 
make offerings at her shrine. Now all this is a vile slander. — 
Dame Fortune is not so blind and fickle as she has been represent- 
ed to be. 

To the superficial observer, wealth often appears the result of 
mere accident, or a fortunate occurrence of favorable circum- 
stances, without any exertion of skill or foresight, yet every man 
of sound health and unimpaired mind may become wealthy by 
taking the proper steps. 

Foremost in the list of requisites are honesty and strict integri- 
ty in every transaction of life. If a man would possess the con- 
fidence of all who know him, he must have the reputation of be- 
ing fair and upright in all his dealings, and in order to have that 
reputation, let him in no case do a mean act. If these qualities 
are lacking, every other merit will prove unavailing. If you have 
anything to sell, never represent it as good when you know it ia 
bad. 

Ask concerning a man, " Is he active and capable ?" Yes. " In- 
dustrious, temperate, and regular in his habits?" O, Yes. "Is 
he honest? Is he trustworthy?" Why, as to that, I am sorry to 
say that he is not to be trusted; he wants watching; he is a little 
tricky, and will take an undue advantage, if he can. "Then I 
will have nothing to do with him," will be the invariable reply. 
Why, then, is honesty the best policy ? Because without it you 
get a bad name, and every body will shun you. 

A character for knavery will prove an insurmountable obstacle 
to success in almost every undertaking. It will be found that the 
straight line is, in business, as in geometry, the shortest. In a 
word, it is almost impossible for a dishonest man to acquire wealth 
by a regular process of business, because he is shunned as a dep- 
redator upon society. 

Needy men are apt to deviate from the rule of integrity, under 
the plea that necessity knows no law; iliey might as well add that 
it knows no shame. The course is suicidal, and by destroying all 
confidence, ever keeps them immured in poverty, although they 
may possess every other quality for success in the world. 

Punctuality, which is said to be the soul of business, is another 
important element in the art of money-getting. The man known 
to be scrupulously exact in the fulfillment of his engagements, 
gains the confidence of all, and may command all the means he 
can use to advantage; whereas, a man careless and regardless of 
his promises in money matters, will have every purse closed 
against him. Therefore be prompt in your payments. 

Next, let us consider the advantages of a cautious eircumspec- 



m How to G ml Bacli. 

tion in onr intercourse with the world. Slowness of belief, and a 
proper distrust are essential to success. The credulous and con- 
tiding are ever the dupes of knaves or imposters. Ask those who 
have lost their property how it happened, and in most cases you 
will find it has been owing to misplaced confidence. One has lost 
by endorsing; another by crediting; another by false representa- 
tions; all of which a little more foresight and a little more dis- 
trust would have prevented. In the affairs of this world men are 
not saved by faith, but by the want of it. 

Judge of men by what they do and not by what they say. Be- 
lieve in looks, rather than in words. Observe all their movements. 
Ascertain their motives and their ends. Notice what they do and 
say in their unguarded moments, when under the influence of ex- 
citement. The passions have been compared to tortures, which 
force men to reveal their secrets. Before trusting a man, before 
putting it in his power to cause you a loss, possess yourself of ev- 
ery available information relative to him. Learn his history, his 
habits, inclinations and propensities; his reputation for honesty, 
industry, frugality, and punctuality; his prospects, resources, sup- 
ports, advantages and disadvantages; his intentions and motives 
of action; who are his friends and enemies, and what are his good 
or bad qualities. You may learn a man's good qualities and ad- 
vantages from his friends — his bad qualities and disadvantages 
from his enemies. Make due allowance for exaggeration in both. 
Finally, examine carefully before engaging in anything, and act 
with energy afterwards. Have the hundred eyes of Argus before 
hand, and the hundred hands of Briarius afterwards. 

Order and system in the management of business must not be 
neglected. Nothing contributes more to despatch. Hare a place 
for everything, and everything in its place; a time for everything, 
and everything in its time. Do first what presses most, and hav- 
ing determined what is to be done, and how it is to be done, lose 
no time in doing it. Without this method, all is hurry and con- 
fusion, little or nothing is accomplished, and business i6 attend- 
ed to with neither pleasure nor profit. 

A polite, affable deportment is recommended. Agreeable man- 
ners contribute powerfully to a man's success. Take two men 
possessing equal advantages in every other respect, but let one 
be gentlemanly, kind, obliging, and conciliatory in his manners ; 
the other harsh, rude, and disobliging, and the one will become 
rich, where the other will starve. 

We will now consider a very important principle in the busi- 
ness of money getting, namely : Industry — persevering, indefati- 
gable attention to business. Persevering diligence is the Philos- 
opher's stone which turns'everything to gold. Constant, regular 
and systematic application to business, must, in time, if properly 
directed, produce great results. It must lead to wealth, with the 
same certainty that poverty follows in the train of idleness and 
inattention. It has been truly remarked that he who follows his 
amusements instead of his business, will soon have no business to 
follow. 

The art of money saving is fully as important as the art of mon- 
ey getting. Without frugality no one can retain the wealth they 
have acquired, but with frugality the poor may become rich, and 
the rieh earn retain tkeir wealth.* Those wU sous unit as fast a* 



low to Get fitak 9% 

they get are in the high way to ruin. We meet with very little 

Eoverty that does not grow out of idleness or extravagance. So 
abitual industry and frugality will ensure a fortune to nearly ev- 
ery one who will practice economy. The practice of economy is 
as necessary in the expenditure of time, as of money. An old 
motto is : "Take care of the pence and the pounds will take 
care of themselves." It is equally true that if we take care of the 
minutes the days will take care of themselves. 

If you are poor and wish to acquire wealth, you will find it nec- 
essary to practice self-denial. The acquisition of wealth demands 
as much self denial and as many sacrifices of present gratification 
as the practice of virtue itself. Vice and poverty proceed in some 
degree from the same source, namely, the disposition to sacrifice 
the future to the present; the inability to forego a small present 
pleasure for a great future advantage. Men fail to make fortunes 
6imply because they are unwilling to deny themselves momenta- 
ry enjoyments for the sake of permanent future advantage and 
happiness. 

In all parts of the country, and especially in large cities, we 
meet with persons who, in order to support the appearance of 
wealth, constantly live out all they earn, and in many eases live 
beyond their income. To make up the deficiency, they contract 
debts which are never paid. We also meet with many drones of 
society, who pass their days in idleness , and sponge a living from 
the lives of the industrious. Many who run a shortlived career 
of splendid beggary, could they be persuaded to adopt a system 
of rigid economy for a few years, might pass the remainder of 
life in affluence. But no ! They must keep up appearances,, they 
must live like other folks. The consequence is, they go into old 
age with poverty instead of wealth. 

Their debts accumulate, and after a while their credit fails. 
They are harrassed by duns and besieged by constables and sher- 
iffs. In this extremity, as a last resort, they submit to a shame- 
ful dependence, or perhaps engage in criminal practices which en- 
tail hopeless wretchedness and infamy on themselves and families. 

Stick to the business in which you are regularly employed. Let 
speculators make their thousands in a year or day ; mind your 
own regular trade, never turning from it to the right hand or to 
the left. If you are a professional man, or a mechanic, never buy 
lots or stock unless you have surplus money which you wish to 
invest. Your own business you understand as well as other men ; 
but other people's business you do not understand. Let your busi- 
ness be some one which is useful to community. All such occu- 
pations possess the elements of profit in themselves. 

Let a sacred regard to the principles of justice form the basis of 
every transaction, and regulate your conduct, whether in business 
or pleasure. Whenever you make an engagement, let no trifling 
circumstance cause you to break it. 

You will meet with many disappointments and failures in life, 
for which you should be in some degree prepared. Always hope 
for the best, hut be on your guard to repel the worst in case it 
comes. 

Do nothing in a careless manner, but always arrange your busi- 
ness so that you will not get in a great hurry. Do your most im- 
portant business first, and if anything must be left undone, let it 



ft E«w* 

be something of comparatively little account. If you are going 
on a journey and have a trunk to pack, do not wait till the last 
hour, but pack it in advance of time. It is much better to be con- 
siderably ahead than to be a little behind. 

Never employ any one to do a job for you when you can do It 
to as good advantage yourself. 

Do your business in such a way that it is a pleasure to you. 

Cultivate order. Have everything just where it belongs. If you 
are writing, when you are done, put your pen, ink and paper in 
their proper places. If you read a book or a newspaper, when you 
are through, put it in its proper place ; and so with everything 
else. "Let all thing be done decently and in order." 

Be prompt and decisive, but courteous with all your customer!. 

The rules I have given, If strictly adhered to, will be of great 
service. 

Honey. 

Hundreds and thousands of dollars have been 
made on recipes for making artificial honey. I have 
procured a few of the recipes which are the most 
highly recommended, and will give them a place here. 

To 10 pounds Sugar add 3 pints water, 40 grains Cream Tartar, 
10 grains Essence of Peppermint, 3 pounds Honey. First dissolve 
the sugar in water, and take off the scum; then dissolve the cream 
tartar in a little water, which you will add with sotne little stir- 
ring, then add the honey, &c, heat to a boiling point, stir for a 
few moments, and it is done. 

The above recipe I bought of a traveling Patent 
Right Dealer, who informed me that he had more 
than once sold the recipe for one hundred dollars. 
I have never tried it, but presume it is as good as 
any. Here is another : 

Take 5 pounds of common brown sugar, and one pint of hard 
water; put over the fire and bring to a boil. As soon as it com- 
mences boiling add }£ ounce of pulverized alum. Stir about five 
minutes while it is gently boiling. Then remove from the fire, 
and strain before it is cold. Immediately after it is strained, add 
half an ounce of cream of tartar and two drops of otto of roses. 
Place it over fire enough to keep it warm, but not to make it 
boil. Stir it for a few minutes, when you can take it off and as 
soon as it is cold it is ready for use. 

A little pulverized slippery elm put into water will 
make it as thick as honey. Add as mueh of thi* as 



Homey. £3 

you pleas©. You can thus reduce the price consider- 
ably. Those who make the honey to sell, have some- 
times added rather more of the slippery elm water 
than their customers thought advisable. 

Cuba Honey. 

A great deal of " Cuba Honey " has been sold and 
used in this country. Here is the recipe to make it : 

Take 10 pounds of good brown sugar, 1 quart of water, 1 ounce 
of gum arabic, 4 drops of peppermint essence. Put the whole to- 

? ether in a suitable kettle, and place over the fire. Bring it to a 
oil, but do not let it boil more than two or three minutes. Take 
it off and and strain, then beat well one egg and put it in togeth- 
er with one pint of water, and about a quarter of a pound wheat 
flour. Place it over the fire again and as soon as it begins to boil 
skim well. Let it boil for two or three minutes. Remove from 
the fire, and when it is about blood warm stir in two drops of 
otto of roses. If one pound of good bees honey in the comb is 
put in before boiling the first time it will be all the better for it . 

It is claimed for this honey that if it is sealed up, 
it will keep any length of time as good and fresh as 
when new. As I have never tried I can not say 
whether this is correct or not. I have often eaten 
honey said to have been made from some of these 
recipes. It certainly tasted good. 

Here is another recipe, for which a friend of ours 
paid $5 only a short time since. Several persons 
in the same neighborhood paid the same for it. We 
have eaten some of the honey they made, and must 
say that we thought we had never eaten better hon- 
ey in oUr life — that was before we knew it was not 
made by the f' little busy bee," that has so "long im- 
proved each shining hour." We could hardly be 
convinced that ft was not the genuine article that we 



94 Braigss* 

had been praising so lavishly. Here is the recipe 
for the best 

Clover Honey. 

Take 10 lbs. of white moist (brown) sugar, 3 lbs. of soft water, 
2^" lbs. of Bee-Bread Honey, 40 grains cream of tartar, 12 drops 
oil of peppermint, half an ounce of gum arabic 10 drops essence 
winter green, put into a porcelain kettle, and let them boil for 5 
minutes, then take 2 teaspoonfuls of pulverized slippery elm and 
mix with 1 lb. of water, then strain it into the kettle; take it 
off and and beat up the whites of two eggs and stir it in; let it 
6tand two minutes, then skim it well, and when cold add 1 lb. of 
pure bees' honey; for larger quantities observe the same propor- 
tions. By adding more slippery elm to a proportionate quantity 
of water, the manufacturer can make it as cheap as he pleases, as 
a 6raall quantity of slippery elm will thicken a pail of water to 
the consistency of honey. 

What we mean by bee bread honey, is that made 
by the bees in the fall of the year, to subsist on du- 
ring the winter, it being much stronger than that 
made in the spring. If that cannot be procured, 
honey in the comb will answer the same purpose, by 
putting in one half lb. more than is given in the 
recipe, but makes considerable difference in the price. 

Bruises. 

If the skin is not broken wet a piece of sponge with the tinc- 
ture of arnica, and bathe the bruised place. This is one of the 
most effectual remedies in use. 

If the skin is broken, tincture of arnica may be 
used, if sufficiently diluted with soft water. Dilute 
the tincture with at least twelve times the quantity 
of water, and bathe the part bruised or jammed. 

I once had the misfortune to severely bruise or 
rather jam one of my fingers. I had nothing with 
me to put on only some tincture of arnica. I put 
a little of this into about twenty times the quantity 



Bruises, 95 

of water and then freely bathed the bruised finger. 
It stopped the pain, and my finger got well in due 
time. I am told that in case of a bite by a dog or 
other animal, this tincture sufficiently diluted, will 
work as well as in case of a bruise. 

Hot water is very efficacious in removing pain 
and preventing discoloration. Whenever you get a 
black eye by a fall on the ice, or running against a 
bed post, or stopping a powerful fist, apply a cloth 
wrung out of very warm water, and renew it often 
until the pain ceases. The moisture and heat liquify 
the blood and send it back to its proper channel. — 
Use hot water or very warm water but not cold. It 
should be applied as soon as possible, and as hot as 
it can be borne. It is excellent to prevent stiffness. 
If the bruise is on the hand or foot, it will do to 
put it into the water and keep it there for some 
length of time, but it will be better to apply it with 
a cloth as above, only be sure and apply it often 
enough to keep it hot. 

Perhaps the above remedies are enough, but I will 

mention the following: 

Dissolve 2 drams of opium in half a pint of boiling water. As 
soon as cold it is ready for use. Bathe the bruise. This is also 
good to use on painful ulcers. 

Bruises should always be attended to immediately, 
for if left alone they often produce worse consequen- 
ces than cuts. One remendy is to bathe f;]he bruised 
part with warm vinegar. Some use slipr /pry elm as 



96 Treatment of Dog*, 

a poultice. If the bruise is a very bad one, some- 
thing more than an external application may be nec- 
essary. The bowels should be kept open. The 
food should be light and the drink weak. 

Treatment of Dogs. 

If I could have my way about it, every dog in the 
country would be killed in less than twenty-four 
hours, but as I am not to decide the matter, and as 
there are many who are bound to keep dogs, I will 
give the best way of treating them. 

The best way to keep a dog in good health, is to let him have 
plenty of exercise, and not too much food. Over-feed your dog, 
and keep him where he will not get much exercise, and he will be 

firetty sure to become sick, or 60 lazy as to be of little or no use. 
f you own a dog, by all means see to it that he is kept clean; and 
for this purpose, encourage him in taking an occasional swim. — 
Wash him occasionally, but do not use any soap. Use clean soft 
water only water. If you use soap, you will prevent him from 
licking himself, and thus he will be literally more dirty than if 
you had not washed him at all. 

Some who know more about dogs than I do, say 
that they should not be fed more than once a day. 
Meat either raw or boiled may be given to any 
healthy dog. Those who boil meat for their dogs, 
often take the water in which it i3 boiled, and thick- 
en it with oat meal or barley meal, and then feed i* 
to their dogs. The dog distemper prevails most in 
spring and autumn, and is most liable to attack dogs 
between the ages of six months and four years. The 
disease may be known by dullness of the eyQ, and a 
husky cough. The dog has but little appetite, 
shivers and ionaetimssiia* 6t#. 



Hydrophobia, 97 

If fits oceur you should immediately send for a 
veterinary surgeon, or your dog may not live long. 
When a dog has the distemper, he should be allow- 
ed to run on the grass. A little sulphur should be 
put in the water he drinks, and he should not be al- 
lowed to eat much more than half his usual allow- 
ance. Unskillful persons should not attempt to treat 
dogs that have the distemper. 

When a dog's jaws are set upon any thing, instead 
of pulling upon him to make him let go, wet a sponge 
or cloth with aqua ammonia and apply it to his nos- 
trils. Giving the dog a pinch of snuff will produce 
the same effect, and may frequently be more readily 
obtained. 

The above 1 is fractions are given more especially 
for the benefit of ladies who have the care of lap-dogs 
and poodles. Out-door dogs usually need no other 
care than to be furnished with enough to eat. 

Hydrophobia. 

This is one of the most dreadful of all dreadful 
diseases. The best prevention would be to kill all 
ilie dogs, but as that is not likely to be done, I will 
give some of the best "cures" now known. The 
first symptoms are attended by thirst, fever and lan- 
guor. The dog when awake is restless but languid, 
and when asleep starts convulsively. 

Whenever theye is the least suspicion that the dog 



98 Hydrophopia. 

is likely to "run mad," he should be firmly chained 
in a place where children can not get near him. No 
dogs or cats or any living creature should be allowed 
to come near enough to be bitten. Any one going 
to feed him should proceed with great caution and as 
a protection wear very thick leather gloves. If the 
dog snaps savagely at an imaginary object, it may 
be regarded as an almost sure sign of madness, and 
if he exhibits a terror of water, it is then confirmed 
hydrophobia, and you may as well kill him without 
further delay. 

When a dog exhibits a dread of musical sounds, 
it is quite common to take advantage of that dread, 
and make music where the dog is, "just for the fun j 
of the thing," Let me say that though this may \ 
cause much sport, it is nevertheless a very dangerous 
sport, and I would advise every one to look to some 
other source for amusement. Many dogs have been ,' 
driven mad by making sport of them in this way. 

When . one has been bitten by a mad dog the 
symptoms usually appear in a few weeks, but some- 
times the poison may remain in the system for years, 
and then break forth with all the terror of the dread 
disease. 

A ; soon as possible after being bitten by a rabid dog, tie a string 
tightly over or above the wound, and cut out the bite. The ob- 
jeet of tying a string or ligature above the wound is to prevent a 
too rapid flow of blood and to prevent the absorption of the poi- ! 
son into the circulatory system. Cut out the bite and cauterize 
the wound with a red-hot iron, or lunar caustic. The bandage 
may be removed in a few hour* and the wound treated the same 



Hydrophobia. 99 

as any other wound. Give a purgative and plenty of -warm drink. 
The cauterization may he more effectually performed hy giving 
the patient chloroform, therefore if chloroform can be procured, 
sprinkle a few drops on a handkerchief or piece of sponge and ap- 
ply to the nose and mouth, before you commencefcauterizing the 
wound. Keep applying the chloroform until the breathing is a 
little difficult, and then cease the application. It is considered 
perfectly safe to use chloform in this way if care is used in giving 
it. Be sure and bind the upper portion of the limb firmly with a 
strong ligature, as stated above, to prevent a too rapid flow of ar- 
terial blood. There should be a free disch^r^c of venous blood, 
and in case this does not take place,"apply a'suction force to the 
bitten part. Some, instead of cauterizing the wound with a red 
hot iron, recommend that it should be thoroughly washed and 
soaked with aqua ammonia pretty well diluted. Either of these 
remedies will cause much pain, but it is quite important that 
they be promptly attended to. 

So far, I have only given remedies for immediate application, 
after being bitten. I will now speak of the disease after the sys- 
tem has been contaminated, and the premonitory symptoms begin 
to appear. When the case has progressed as far as this, my advice 
would be to let drugs entirely alone. Have nothing whatever to 
do with tinctures, muck, elecampane, calomel, or any other drug. 
Any of them, or all of them I consider worse than nothing. In- 
stead of making the patient swallow medicine, put him into.a 
vapor bath as hot as he can bear and continue the sweating pro- 
cess for a quarter of an hour. Then dash upon him a bucket full 
of cold water, and immediately cover him with blankets in a dry 
bed. By this time he will be likely to call for a drink of cold wa- 
ter, but do not give him any. Give him a large tumbler full of 
6trong red pepper tea. Some have recommended to put a little 
tincture of lobelia in the pepper tea, but I think it is unnecessary. 
If another paroxysm comes on, go through the same process as 
before, only do not allow the patient to remain in the vapor bath 
more than eight or ten minutes. 

This may seem a terrible ordeal. It is indeed hard, but it is the 
best of all plans yet known. It may be necessary to go through 
the sweating process three or four times. After going through 
this process three or four times, if the patient does not vomit, 
give him some boneset tea. Immediately after vomiting let him 
drink a little sage or peppermint tea. By this time the crisis will 
probably be passed and all danger of fatal termination removed, 
but if any indication of another paroxysm appear,do not hesitate 
to repeat the sweating process, to be followed by a tumbler full 
of red pepper tea, and in two or three minutes more, some bone- 
set tea, unless the patient should vomit pretty freely, in which 
case the boneset tea may be omitted. 

Some years ago I read an account in the papers of a man who 
had been bitten by a mad dog. A few weeks later he was suffer- 
ing from hydrophobia. He concluded to commit suicide, rather 
than suffer the terror of the disease. He determined to die as ea- 
sily as possible, and could think of no better way than to suffocate 
himself in a hot vapor bath. He accordingly prepared one and 
entered the room when it was as hot as he could make it, proba- 
bly up to about two hundred degrees. Instead of being suffocated 



100 Hydrophobia. 

he fell into a profuse perspiration. This made him feelso much 
better, he gave up the idea of trying to commit suicide. He how- 
ever, prepared the room again, and after taking a few baths in 
that way was permanently cured. 

So much for the treatment of the disease without poisonous 
remedies. I have already given what I consider the best treat- 
ment of hydrophobia, but as there may be some who would like 
to know some other way, I here give the drug side of the question. 

Take the root of common black ash, and after peeling off the 
bark, boil it to a strong decoction. Drink one gill of the decoction 
about half an hour before each meal, and take a swallow of it be- 
fore going to bed at night. The first doses should be taken as 
soon as possible after being bitten, and continued as above for 
three weeks. 

The above is the recipe as given to me, but I 
should recommend that only half a gill instead of a 
gill be taken for a dose. Here let me say that 
whatever is a good remedy to cure hydrophobia, is 
considered a good remedy to cure snake bites. 

I cut the following recipes from a country news- 
paper. I do not now remember what paper I found 
them in, but the editor speaks very favorably of them. 

Saxon Remedy. — Immediately after the bite, wash the wound 
clean with tepid water, and dry it with a cloth, by pressing the 
cloth onto the wound, and then removing it. As soon as suffi- 
ciently dry, pour upon the wound a few drops of hydrochloric 
acid, In a few minutes wash the wound with warm vinegar, and 
dry as before. Then pour on a few drops of hydrochloric acid. 

Grecian Remedy. — Eat the green shoots of asparagus. Do not 
eat much of anything else. Remain as quiet and sleep as much of 
the time as you can. If you do not perspire freely, get into a good 
feather bed, and have some one put another feather bed over you. 

I condense the following from a long article I saw 
going the rounds of the papers some years ago. I 
take the liberty of making a little change in the rec- 
ipe as I consider the original too far out of the way. 

' Pulverize dried elcampane root and weigh out four ounces.— 
Then dissolve gum arabic in soft warm water, to make it about as 
thick as strained honey. Measure out one gill of this, and add to 
i t the pulverized elcampane root. When a person is bitten by a 
mad dog or any other rabid animal, put two teaspoonfuls of the 
a bove mixture into one pint of new milk. Steep it until half the 



Hydrophobia. 101 

quantity of the milk is evaporated. Strain and drink the whole 
half pint in the morning, and not eat anything before noon. Re- 
peat the same dose for three or lour mornings ; let the patient take 
a dose every third morning and fast as before, till he considers 
himself in no danger of the hydrophobia. He should eat only a 
light supper, if any, and by no means eat highly seasoned food. — 
Exercise moderately, but be careful and not get greatly fatigued. 
Do not get wet, nor remain in the hot sun for any.length of time. 
If the patient is a child, the dose should be smaller, but in other 
respects the treatment should be the same as for an adult. 

Let me repeat that whatever is good for the bite of 
a mad dog, is good to cure the bite of a snake. — 
Please remember this, and it will be worth something 
to you, sometime. 

A celebrated London physician, in a letter to a 
professional friend at Leeds, says: "Every year 
produces an infallible nostrum for hydrophobia. — 
The malady, nevertheless, exists in all its unknown 
mystery and terror. Except that it is believed pure- 
ly a disease of the nervous system, nothing is known 
of the virus and its laws of propagation ; so I have 
long dismissed keeping a list of remedies for the de- 
veloped disease. Yet you will be astonished if I add 
that I believe it never, or almost never, need be ta- 
ken of the maddest of dogs. About twenty-five years 
ago, more or less, I was sent for to see the present 

Lord L , then a fine, healthy lad, who, it was 

said, had been licked, not only over the lips but 
within the mouth, by a little terrier, which was found 
sitting on the sleeping lad's chest and dipping his 
tongue into his master's open mouth. The demean- 
or of the dog alarmed the late lord L , and I was 



102 Hydrophobia* 

called in to ascertain the fact of the dog being or not 
mad. 

"Now on this point, I did not consider myself 
any authority, and so sent for Sir Benjamin Brodie, 
who, though agreeing with me as to the probable 
madness of the dog, nevertheless desired that the 
late Mr. Youatt, the veterinary surgeon, and a most 
remarkable man, should be appealed to. He at once 
pronounced the dog as laboring under hydrophobia, 
and turning to me, added, ' If you will come to me 
in five days, at our dog hospital, we can dissect the 
animal.' I did so, and found the dog dead, and You- 
att busy in opening the carcass. I naturally was 
shy in touching the animal, and asked if he were not 
afraid. ' No,' he answered, * I have repeatedly been 
bitten by most undoubted patients — (there were sev- 
eral in cribs there, then, which I saw alive,) and I 
never have any fear.' I asked him how often he had 
been bitten ; he told me eight times ; and then he 
called his assistant porter, and asked him how often 
he had been bitten ; he I think owned to at least 
eight, and I believe ten, undoubted introductions of 
the virus ; and be it remembered, that the attacks or 
bites were all on the hands of these men, so could 
not be wiped off by any intervening garment. This 
was his remedy : 

Youatt's Remedy.— Allow the common nitrate of silver, easily 
procurable, to filter into the wound ; it decomposes the saliva, 
and in doing this, destroys the virus. The actual cautery, the 



Fevers. 103 

caustic potass, and excision, arc unsafe aDcl liable to fail. The ni- 
trate of silver chases the poison into the very eapilaries and neu- 
tralizes it. Since I have known this Ialways use it for any bite of 
a dog, sound or not, and am at rest. 

The poison of hydrophobia remains latent on an average, six 
"weeks ; the part heals over, but there is a pimple or wound, more 
or less irritable ; it then becomes painful, and the germ, whatever 
it is, ripe for dissemination into the system ; then all hope is gone. 
Nevertheless, between the time of the bite and activity of the 
wound previous to dissemination, the caustic nitrate of silver is 
a sure preventive ; after that, it is as useless as all the other means. 
The best mode of application of the nitrate of silver is by intro- 
ducing it solidly into the wound. It melts in an equal quantity 
of water. If already healed, the cicatrix should be rubbed and 
eaustieated entirely away. 

Here is another remedy that has been vouched for 
by scientific men : 

German Remedy. — A German forest keeper, eighty (wo years 
old, not wishing to carry to the grave with him ah important se- 
cret, lat'-ly made known a recipe he has used for fifty years, and 
which, he says, has saved several men and a large number of ani- 
mals from a horrible death by hydrophobia. Bathe the bite as 
soon as possible with warm vinegar and vai r, and, when this 

i ■ d 

will destroy the p I relieve the path 

Fever. 

Fever is an acute affection or disease in which all 
the functions of the system are deranged, the most 
prominent phenomena of which are acceleration of 
the pulse, increased heat, derangement of the cere- 
bral or nervous system, loss of appetite, and increase 
of thirst. 

The above is the best definition of fever I ever 
heard. T got it from my preceptor, A. W. Fenner, 
M. D. He was a well read physician, and I am in- 
debted to him for much of the valuable medical in- 
formation contained in this book. In the first place 



104 Fevers, 

I will speak of fevers in general, and then speak of 
some particular forms of fever. 

I have not the least doubt that if we could always 
keep the blood pure and in a positive conditio*- 

might bid defiance to every fever of wha f ' ' * ' 

mi • i , t i -. * . . ..ever form or 
name. There is but little doubt 

I is taken by the breath. '. 

. L . m • i ,- We inhale the contam- 

inating emuvia ann 

,, . thus poison the blood, thereby 

preparing tb* r t . • 

., . o way for fever to come in. It is stated 

that bo- J . 

vme one to test this matter created an artificial 

^Ospher^ such as he supposed would cause fever, 

and On breathing it for a few minutes he had all the 

symptoms of fever. 

I give the following prescriptions derived from va- 
rious sources : 

In fevers and inflammations, take 4 grains of powdered rhubarb 
in a little syrup of ginger at night just before going to bed. 

Another. — Dried sulphate of magnesia 6 drams, sulphate of 
soda 3 drams, infusion of senna 6 ounces, tincture of jalap X an 
ounce. This is for acute diseases generally. Take 2 tablespoon- 
fuls every 3 hours tyi it operates freely. 

Another.— P«i 4 ounces of water into a bottle large enough for 
the purpose, then add 2 drams carbonate of ammonia, 1 dram of 
alum, and % a dram of capsicum. In common cases of fever give 
an adult a teaspoonful once in 2 hours. Keep it corked tight and 
shake it well before giving it. 

A tea made by steeping columbo root is good. Take a swallow 
of it occasionally. 

Fevers constitute a large majority of the diseases 
that afflict mankind in the civilized world. For this 
reason I am more particular in pointing out the gen- 
eral treatment. One circumstance in fever has been 
generally overlooked by the popular mind. At the 



fevers. 105 

pornrnpnopmpnt °^ a ^ fevers there is a coir! p+po-r, 
sometimes rather severe and sometimes but slightly 
felt. In the cold or forming stage of fever, there is 
a general feeling of chilliness, though this chilliness 
may be but slightly felt. The skin is pale and harsh. 
There is a dullness and loss of mental energy, and 
indeed the patient feels weak both in body and mind. 
When this stage supervenes, promptness and appro- 
priateness of remedies may prevent a long spell of 
sickness. Immediate attention should now be given 
and such domestic treatment administered as is with- 
in the reach of every family. I call your attention 
to these things, that you may be prepared and know 
what to do when occasion requires immediate action. 

Give the patient a foot bath and some warm drinks as soon as 
It appears that he is '* threatened with a fever." This eold stage 
may in rare cases continue for several days, with now and then a 
turn of slight heal, but usually it does not last more than twen- 
ty-four hours, and sometimes not as long as that. If prompt at- 
tention is given in this forming stage, the chances are that you 
will "break up the ' 

Immediately aftt I .'old stage the skin becomes flushed, red, 
and disagreeably dry . This may be considered good proof that 
nature is hard at work trying to drive out the enemy — disease. — 
Let such remedies be given as will aid nature in the work she is 
doing. An emetic may now be given with good results. Spon- 
taneous vomiting does not always clear the stomach. An emetic 
given early often arrests the further progress of the disease, and 
makes the patient well again. In case it is necessary to stop the 
vomiting, give the patient clove tea or cinnamon tea. As soon 
as yellow or green bile is vomited up, it is time to stop the vom- 
iting. In such a case do not repeat the emetic. 

The patient should never be allowed to lie in bed to vomit. — 
The twisting of the body either to the right or to the left causes 
mucb pain during the operation of an emetic. The patient sho'd 
sit up square, with the body leaning slightly forward, so that the 
muscles of the chest and abdomen may be as lax as possible. — 
Much of the pain usually experienced in vomiting will thus be 
avoided. 

Shortly after the vomiting ceases a purgative should be given. 
Calomel is frequently given in fevers, and almost every time does 



106 Fevers, 

mischief instead of helping the patient. I am not prepared to say 
it never does good, but the safe way is to let it alone. If the bow- 
els are very torpid common purgatives may not operate. In such 
a case give an injection of tepid water once or twice a day. It is 
quite important that the bowels be kept open. 

The skin must not be neglected. As soon as it becomes flush- 
ed and red, with a disagreeable dryness, it should be relaxed and 
the pores opened by freely bathing the whole body. It is a good 
practice to dash cold water over the patient at the commence- 
ment of the disease. This will moderate the heat and the thirst 
will not be so great. This will often prove more beneficial than 
any other remedy. In many cases it will cut short the fever and 
permanently cure the patient if resorted to soon after the acceler- 
ation of the pulse takes place. The pulse will be immediately 
lowered, and the symptoms of high excitement much abated. — 
This remedy may be safely employed any time during the first 
week, when the heat of the body is above" its natural state. It 
will probably do the most good when the fever is at its height. — 
If the patient should feel at all chilly, or if there is any degree of 
perspiration present, this remedy should not be employed. Re- 
member this and there will be no danger of using the remedy at 
the time of the greatest danger during the first week. 

I make the following ex ract from Dr. Beach's 

J3,efbri led ^- leiice " wh b I tin ' " : n excel- 

ten syork: 

" A tenacious, viscid, perspirable matter is deposited upon the 
surface ot the body in febrile diseases, which dries upon it and 
becomes an additional means of keeping the pores closed. The 
usual moisture being gone, a preternatural heat is generated 
which creates great distress, and protracts the fever. This obvi- 
ously points out the propriety of frequently bathing the surface; it 
removes everything that obstructs perspiration, by relaxing the 
cutaneous vessels, and the evaporation that ensues diminishes the 
temperature of the body surprisingly. Nothing is better for this 
purpose than warm water with lye added." 

I think there is good reason for adding the lye, but I would say 
do not put in much, and do not use a solution of potash or pearl- 
ash. The best way to get lye for this purpose is to put a sufficient 
quantity of clean avooc! ashes into water and let it settle. Then 
pour off the clear liquid, and put a little of it into the water you 
use for bathing the patient. This will remove the oily, gummy 
matter from the skin much better than water alone. It cleanses 
and softens the skin, and at the same time by its stimulating or 
relaxing nature, has a tendency to cause perspiration. 

It is of great importance that perspiration should take place as 
soon as possible. Indeed the importance of this cannot be over- 
estimated. I have seen many very threatening cases of fever 
entirely broken up by thorough sweating. There are several 
ways of accomplishing this, by packing in a wet sheet, soaking 
the feet, drinking herb teas, etc. But perhaps the quickest, read- 
iest and most complete way is by taking an old chair with the 



Fevers. 107 

bottom out, place a piece of narrow board across for the patient 
to sit on; then place a pail of hot water under the chair, and let 
the patient, be seated after having- been divested of all clothing; 
wrap a thick blanket closely around the patient to keep the 
steam in; have ready some stones heated hot, and put one in ev- 
er}'' few minutes till a good perspiration is produced. Caxe must 
be taken not to raise too much hot steam at once so as to burn 
the patient. Cold water should now be poured over the patient, 
or else he should be thoroughly washed with cold water, wiped 
dry and rubbed briskly all over. By doing this, you will entire- 
ly overcome the lassitude and exhaustion otherwise experienced. 
Pouring the cold water over is much the more beneficial. Any of 
the herb teas are useful as diaphoretic medicines. Ipecacuanha 
is useful as an emetic, diaphoretic, febrifuge or tonic. It may be 
6afely used iu all kinds of fevers. 

Never disturb the patient when he is enjoying a natural and re- 
freshing sleep. Even if it is time to give him medicine you had 
better extend the time or omit the medicine entirely for that time. 
It is much more important that the patient have refreshing sleep 
than that he takes his medicine precisely at the appointed time. 

Never under any circumstances allow a patient with a fev« r to 
be bled. Bleeding in fevers is never beneficial but always injuri- 
ous. It was formerly supposed that a patient having fever sho'd 
be bled in order to moderate the circulation and prevent inflam- 
mation, but most well read physicians know better than that now. 
If you bleed the patient, instead of assis ing nature, you abstract 
the chief elemenl of life and power thai nature is making use of 
alth. All ii ■• advan age tha bleed- 
ing can possibly give, can be seen ed I \ a judi :ious ; : e of the -im- 

ady mentioned. Open the natural oul 
system, and get rid of only the impure mar really inju- 

rious, instead of the blood itself. This can be • me by the use of 
emetic, sudorific, purgative and diuretic medicines. Bloodletting 
is not really a remedy, for it always does more harm than good. 

The patient should be kept where there is nothing to excite him 
or disturb him in body or mind. Let him rest and sleep as much 
as he can. This will give nature a chance to work to better ad- 
vantage. Do not allow anytmorose, fault-finding, or complaining 
visitors, to see and talk with him. Promote cheerfulness as much 
as possible. A visit from some one who can. bring an air of cheer- 
fulness with him, will do more good than a dose of medicine al- 
most any time. If the patient becomes anxious or depressed, 
contrive some way to make him cheerful, and if you can make 
him laugh, all the better. We have it on pretty high authority, 
that "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine." Do not con- 
fine the patient in a poorly' ventilated room with sombre walls. 
The room should be large, well-ventilated, and be made to look 
as cheerful and agreeable as possible. The room should be kept 
just warm enough to be agreeable to the patient, and the tem- 
perature should be uniform— not hot one hour and cold the next. 

In all stages of fever, slippery elm tea may be freely drank. — 
For a change drink cream of tartar water, lemonade or ice cold 
water. Let the patient drink only a little ice water at a time, 
but he may taste it often if he desires to do so. 

If the head aches severely, soak the feet in warm water and 



108 Continued and Inflammatory Fevers, 

lay cloths wet with cold water on the forehead or oil any part of 
the head that aches mos>t. As. boon as the cloths begin to feel a 
little warm, change ihcm for some just taken out of cold water. 

The question now arises, "What shall the sick one eat V" I 
would say that in fevers very little nutriment is necessary. What 
little is necessary should be'of the lightest kind. Strawberries, 
and almost any ripe and juicy fruit, may be eaten in small quan- 
tities. Let the patient eat part of an orange two or three times a 
day. A good preventive of fever is to eat an orange every day 
during the spring and summer months. Great care should be ta- 
ken during convalescence. The patient should not eat too much. 
Improper eating and too much exercise often bring on a relapse. 

Get the very best nurse you can find. Full as much depends 
on good nursing, as on what medicines are taken. Get some one 
for nurse who understands the business and will note every new 
phase of the disease. All favorable symptoms should be encour- 
aged, and others counteracted. Every good nurse will know what 
to do, and when to do it. The nurse' should be attentive, sympa. 
thizing and kind to the sufferer. Many little things that inex- 
perienced hands would let pass unnoticed, an attentive nurse 
will heed and profit by. Much can be done that will be very 
grateful to the sufferer. By all means get a nurse who can divert 
the patients mind with cheerful and agreeable conversation. The 
nurse should watch every nerve of the sick one, and as far as pos- 
sible, anticipate his wauls. Never wait for him to ask you to do 
any necessary thing 1 hat you know should be done. Such ser- 
vi( ee are very grateful to the sufferer, and do him much more good 
when lie sees the nurse is prompt and attentive to his wants, and 
supplies them cheerfully. It is useless for me to enumerate the 
thousand and one little things that may be done for the comfort 
of the sufferer. 

I have intended the preceeding remarks to apply in a general 
sense to all forms and shades of fever. Fevers, especially those 
of a typhoid nature frequently occur from the pernicious practice 
of storing large quantities of vegetables in cellars under the house. 
These vegetables decomposing their exhalations find their way 
into the family apai men is. Jn such cases those who sleep on the 
ground floor are more likely to have fever than those who have 
their bed rooms farther up. My advice would be, never store veg- 
egetahl under the house you live in. 

Continued and Inflammatory Fevers. 

The general notice of fevers just given, apply pret- 
ty well to these fevers, only in these fevers the symp- 
toms are more distinctly marked, and in the inflam- 
matory fever, more intense. In these fevers we have 
the slow and intermitting pulse. If the pain in the 
head, back, or loins is very intense and the pulse 



Typhus and Typhoid Fevers. 109 

slow, yon may look for a ca«;e of more thnn Utittsual 
severity. Prompt and thorough measures should 
now be used, and if possible the disease broken 
up immediately. If allowed to run a day or two, it 
may be too late to break the fever. 

The symptoms, though nearly the same as in common fever, 
already described, are more rapid, and if the disease is properly 
treated, terminates favorably in a week or a little more. When 
the crisis comes, the patient will most likely fall into a tranquil 
sleep. In such a case, let him rest as long- as he sleeps soundly 
and tranquilly. The pulse will abate; vomiting, purging or sweat- 
ing may occur. The disease often runs into typhoidfever— some- 
times as early as the fom\h day. 

In the treatment of these fevers, observe the general rules of 
treating fevers. Give an emetic, and soon after, a cathartic. If 
necessary, the cathartic may be repeated every other day. Pro- 
duce a free perspiration as soon as possible, and keep it up mod- 
erately during the continuance of the fever. For this purpose, 
and to induce sleep, give six grains of Dover's powders at night. 

Typhus Fever, and Typhoid Fever. 

Typhoid and Typhus fevers arise from unwhole- 
some air, the air not nnfrequently being poisoned by 
stagnant water or decomposing vegetables under 
houses, in the holes for politeness called cellars. 

Fear has a great effect in spreading tins disease. 
Were it possible to dispense with fear among the 
people, the ravages of cholera and other diseases 
would not be half as great as they now are. Ty- 
phoid fever is probably more prevalent in September 
than any other month in the year. In this disease, 
the first thing generally observed is a remarkable 
loss of strength without any apparent cause. The 
disease commences with cold symptoms of fever. The 
patient is sick at the stomach, and sometimes vomits 



110 Pever and Ague. 

bile, he Las violent pains in the head, back, loins, 
and sometimes about the region of the stomach. At 
first his tongue is white, but soon it appears brown 
or black, and in the center dry and chapped, with 
glassy, red edges. The teeth are covered with a 
brown or black crust. 

Just how long the fever will last, is very uncertain. Sometimes 
it terminates in a week or two, or it may continue for five or six 
weeks, or even two months. If there is a gentle looseness after 
the fourth day, it may be regarded as a favorable symptom, es- 
pecially if accompanied with a gentle sweat. Encourage, rather 
than stop this looseness and sweating, but do not allow them to 
become excessive. The great probability is that if this gentle 
looseness and warm, mild sweating continues for any considera- 
ble length of time, the fever will be carried off, but if the loose- 
ness becomes excessive, with inflammation of the bowels, and 
large black or livid blotches upon the skin, with cold, clammy 
sweats and involuntary stools, the symptoms are very unfavor- 
able, and the patient will probably soon die. 

In i reating this disease, follow the course marked out in the 
general notice of fevers. Stop all food as soon a* the head be- 
gins io ache. Drink lemonade, cold flax-sei d tea or slipper} 
tea. Slippery elm tea with a little lemon juice in i:, isexcellent. 
In the early stages of the disease, have a strong, healthy person 
rub the extremities after bathing. The water cure system is ex- 
cellent in this disease. Give the patient a wet sheet pack once a 
day. 

If the above treatment is not adopted, the follow- 
ing is the next best : 

In the early stages give an emetic and follow with a cathartic, 
and induce perspiration in the usual way. Give three grains of 
ipecac twice a day in cold herb tea, and to insure sleep, give the 
usual dose of Dovers powder at night. The patient must sleep 
well, to get well rapidly. If there is too much looseness put 30 
grains of gum camphor into half an ounce of balsam of copabia, 
and half an ounce of sweet spirits of nitre. Shake the vial and 
give ten drops once in two hours, until the tongue becomes moist, 
and the looseness of the bowels is not as great. The other symp- 
toms to be treated as in the general notice of fever. 

Fever and Ague. 

In fever and ague we have a fair illustration of 
the origin and philosophy of all fevers that afflict the 



Pever and Ague. Ill 

human race In this disease there is a positive and 
a negative condition. The condition of the atmos- 
phere throws the temperature of the body into a neg- 
ative state. This is the cold stage of the fever. — 
The warm or hot stage is the positive condition. Fe- 
ver and ague, it will be readily seen, is caused by a 
positive and negative condition of the atmosphere. 
The fever and chills in the atmosphere correspond 
exactly to the fever and chill in the human system. 
Indeed we may say these chills and fever in the sys- 
tem are developed by the atmosheric chills and fever. 
The resisting power of the human body is so great, 
that this condition of the atmosphere may exist for a 
i ( Lit ( ' ' system so far as 

to cause a person to have the fever and ague. 

It is quite generally believed that fever and ague 
is caused by something in the air, termed miasma, 
but nobody has ever proved this, by analyzing the 
air. Many suppose that this miasma is the cause of 
fever and ague, because the disease prevails most in 
marshy countries where there is wood and stagnant 
water, but this is a question upon which doctors dis- 
agree, many asserting that there is in reality no such 
thing or substance as miasma. The disease is most 
severe in places where great heat and moisture are 
combined. This is a strong argument in favor of 
those who claim the disease is caused by a condition 
of the atmosphere instead of a substance called mi- 



112 Fever and Ague. 

asm!) Mv own opinion i a ^ r >-*- there I 5 ? some truth 
in both side of the question. No age, sex, or con- 
stitution is exempt from an attack of this disease. — 
Every one who breathes impure air, lives in low dir- 
ty places, takes little exercise and eats unwholesome 
food, is liable to have it. 

The difference between fever and ague and other 
spasmodic diseases, consists more in degree than any 
thing else. As proof of this please notice that in all 
spasmodic diseases the same muscles are affected in 
the same manner, the difference being in degrees of 
violence and frequency. The following are the sev- 
eral forms of the disease : 

In cases of fever and ague when the paroxysms occur daily it is 
called quotidian; when the paroxysms recur every other day, it 
is called tertian; when they recur every third or fourth day it is 
called quartan. The paroxysms of the quotidian are usually of 
longer duration than the tertian, and more likely than either of 
the others to lapse into a fever of the remittent type. The ter- 
tian is the most common, and the most easily cured. The parox. 
ysm of this form of the disease is usually longer than the quartan 
but shorter than the quotidian. In speaking of paroxysms here 
I mean the whole time occupied by the cold, hot and sweating 
stages. The quartan form of the ague is the most difficult to 
cure, but it is the least frequent. The cold stage of the quartan 
is of longer duration than the same stage in either of the other 
forms. The quotidian form usually has the shortest cold and the 
longest hot stage. In either case the patient is affected with a 
sense of languor and general lassitude, the dullness not unfre- 
quently bjing so severe as to cause the teeth to chatter, while the 
whole body shakes violently. The general symptoms of fever and 
ague are so well known that it is useless for me to describe them 
here. 

Fever and ague seldom carries the patient to the 
grave, but in many cases it runs him so low that in 
his weak condition some other disease may step in 
and carry him off. In this disease the spleen is oft- 



Fever and Ague, 113 

en enlarged, but why is not yet well known, if in- 
deed it is known at all. Dropsy not unfrequently 
follows repeated attacks of ague. In cold or temper- 
ate climates one may have the ague for a long time 
without inducing other diseases, but in hot climates 
it is much more dangerous. Frequently, in hot cli- 
mates, after a few paroxysms, inflammatory affec- 
tions set in and the patient is carried off by some ac- 
tive disease, sometimes cholera, dysentery or convul- 
sions. 

If a person has been long afflicted with fever and ague with its 
accompanying headache and prostration, the most speedy cure 
will be effected by his leaving the section of country where the 
disease was contracted, and taking up his residence where the dis- 
ease does not prevail, but this is not always a convenient remedy. 
If he cannot leave, let him be more careful in his diet, and have 
more complete control of his appetite. Eat no gravy or fat meat, 
and but very little butter. All hot drinks should be discarded. 
It is well to take plenty of exercise, but do not continue it so long 
as to become fatigued. 

When you feel a chill coming on, resist it with all your might, 
mind and strength. Do not lie down and cover yourself to keep 
warm; do not seaa yourself near the Are to shake and shiver, but 
do what is much better, get up on to your feet and walk fast or 
enter upon some gymnastic exercise, be lively and thus bring up 
the arterial circulation as much as possible. You are cold be- 
cause too much of your blood is in your veins, and consequently 
too little in the arteries. The arteries being deprived of their cus- 
tomary warmth and magnetism, a chilly sensation is produced 
over the whole body. This being the case, it is not wise to wait 
for the slow reaction which is sure to bring on unnatural heat and 
prostrating fever. 

For breaking up a chill, put a tablespoonful of fine salt into one 
gill of the best brandy. Mix it thoroughly. Drink a wine glass 
full as soon as you begin to feel the chill coming on. Immediate 
relief will follow if the above is taken, even after the chill has 
fairly commenced. Sometimes a wine glass full will not be need- 
ed, and sometimes it may be necessary to repeat the dose. 

For a few days previous to an attack of fever and ague a close 
observer will notice symptoms that should be immediately attend- 
ed to. When these symptoms occur, prompt attention and prop- 
er remedies will usually arrest the disease before the occurrence 
of a paroxysm. I have already given what I consider the best 
plan, but I will give one other mode of treatment which I consid- 
er next best. 



114 Fever and Ague. 

Among the first symptons of approaching ague, will be found a 
sense of weakness and great listlessness. The patient gets "all 
tired out," when he has exercised only a very little. He feels a 
desire to yawn and stretch. His mind becomes anxious, and he 
wants to lie down and rest even though he has not exercised half 
as much as usual. Cold chills are occasionally felt followed by 
hot flushes in the face. There is pain all over the body but es- 
pecially in the head and back. Whenever these symptoms occur, 
it is time to act. These symptoms may be tab en as a notice given 
in advance, that the ague is coming. The patient may now'take 
a hot foot bath. Let the water be as hot as he can bear it, and 
mix in it new wood ashes. Use hot drinks while taking the foot 
bath. Let me repeat that I do not consider this method as good 
as the first one given. If the patient has eaten a hearty meal, an 
emetic may be given. 

Another method of treatment which is not very 
troublesome, is as follows : 

Put half a teaspoonful of carbonate of ammonia in with six 
grains of Dover's powder in a cup of herb tea. Let the patient 
drink this as hot as he can bear it. 

Still another prescription, called good: 

Puv . : h ^ric 

: ink it afi ho 

In my practice I have frequently used the follow- 
ing with good success : 

Gather a little pile of cobwebs, be careful and pick out all the 
flies and other insects that may he found caught in the web.— 
Take a pair of scissors and clip the web up fine. When this is 
done, take about enough of these fine clippings to make a com- 
mon sized pill, but instead of making it into a pill, stir it well in- 
to a tablespoonful of molasses. This' makes one dose. Take one 
dose every half hour for three or four hours before the expected 
attack. Let this be repeated at the proper time before the par- 
oxysm is expected to occur. Continue the use of this remedy as 
long as the paroxysms occur. Instead of putting the web into 
molasses, you can mix a little mucilage with it and make it into 
pills, if you prefer to do so. This remedy is so simple that many 
think it is of no use, but I have seen it tried so many times with 
good success, that I call it much better than some more compli- 
cated remedies. 

In regard to diet, I have but little to say, and that little is ea- 
sily understood. Eat but very little, and that of easily digested 
food. Injudicious eating often causes dangerous relaps es. 

I consider calomel and quinine worse than useless, and if you 
take them, remember that it is contrary to my advice. 



Bilious lever. 115 

Bilious Fever. 

The remittent fever, commonly called bilious fe- 
ver, differs from the intermittent in having but a 
short remission of the symptoms, and the patient has 
some fever all the time. The remissions not unfre- 
quently recur twice in twenty-four hours. If the 
disease is unchecked it may run ten days or a fort- 
night, with more or less severity. The symptoms 
are the same as in general fevers only more marked 
in the different stages. After the disease has been 
running a week or more, the skin often assumes a 
yellow tinge, and there is much heat. 

The fact that a person is bilious, is proof that the 
system is radically impaired. Congestive fever is 
very much like remittent fever, only the first symp- 
toms are more marked and decidedly more alarming. 
In the cold stage the pulse is feeble and the extrem- 
ities are more than usually cold. The coldness in- 
creases and the pulse diminishes until you cannot 
feel them at all. A cold, clammy sweat usually cov- 
ers all of the body except the chest. In almost ev- 
ery case there is great thirst, but the stomach rejects 
everything that is swallowed. The patient is rest- 
less, wild and delirious, but does not suffer much 
pain. Observe the following plan in treating this 
disease : 

An emetic is the first thing in order — if given in season, it will 
frequently cut short the disease. As soon as the vomiting ceases, 



116 Yellow Fever. Scarlet Fever. 

give a purgative. If necessary, repeat the purgative every other 
day or every third day, but do not give 1 arge doses. 

Resort to the usual methods of obtaining perspiration. In the 
general notice that I have given for treating fevers you will Hud 
proper directions for this. 

The following is excellent in all bilious diseases: 

Pulverize equal parts of dried mandrake root, orange peel and 
cloves. Take two tablespoonfuls of this composition, and put it 
into one pint of brandy and one quart of water. Then add one 
pound of brown sugar and a few drops of lemon juice. Shake it 
up well, and let it stand a week, when it will be ready for use. — 
Take one teaspoonful before each meal. If the medicine is needed 
immediately, give it an extra shaking and it will do to use the 
same day it is'made, but if possible it is better to have it stand a 
few days. 

Yellow Fever. 

This is simply bilious fever in a more concentrated 
and highly aggravated form. It prevails most in hot 
climates and especially in southern cities, and large 
towns. The hotter the weather the more fatal the 
disease. With the approach of cold weather, yellow 
fever retires from the stage of action and does not re- 
turn till another heated term comes. The same treat- 
ment recommended for fevers in general, and for bil- 
ious fevers, will be suited to yellow fever. 

Yellow fever being such a dangerous disease, it is very import- 
ant that the primary disease receive prompt attention. A little 
delay may send the patient to his grave. If the fever is epidemic 
it is not safe to neglect even the slightest symptoms. Either dull- 
ness, weariness, pain in the head, neck, or back ; or, if the person 
feels a chilliness, should be attended to immediately. I would 
advise the unacclimated not to remain in a town or city where 
yellow fever is epidemic. Those who live where yellow fever is 
prevalent, should eat an orange every day and drink freely of lem- 
onade ; aud by all means get plenty of sleep. 

Scarlet Fever. 

This fever begins as all other fevers do, but in 
two or three days the whole skin is covered with red 
blotches. These blotches are more numerous, larger ^ 



Measles. 117 

and usually redder than the measles. This disease 
should be treated nearly the same as other fevers. 

If you know that any member of your family lias been in the 
presence of those who had scarlet fever at the time, give him three 
drops belladonna in a wineglass of water, every morning before 
breakfast. As long as the patient is confined to the room burn a 
little coffee in the room every day. Let the patient sleep with 
the head more elevated than usual. 

For sore throat attending scarlet fever, gargle the throat with 
warm water in which there is a little vinegar and salt. If the 
bowels are costive, give a small dose of castor oil. The whole 
body should be frequently bathed with some cooling liquid, and 
gently rubbed with the bare hand. 

Measles. 

This disease is in many respects like the scarlet 
fever ; indeed it arises from similar causes. Among 
the first symptoms, will be noticed the running of 
water from the eyes and nostrils. The patient will 
sneeze frequently, and there will be swelling of the 
eyes and face. There will be considerable drowsi- 
ness, with occasional shivering. The first appear- 
ance of the eruption usually occurs on the third or 
fourth day, behind the ears, thence spreading down- 
wards on the neck, and forward on the face. It sel- 
dom appears on the body in less than twenty-four 
hoars from the time it comes out on the face. The 
eruption looks much as if the patient had been bit- 
ten all over with fleas ; it is of a crimson color, in- 
stead of scarlet as in scarlet fever. 

In measles, the specks usually array themselves 
in groups, and the skin between these groups retains 
its natural color. Young people in good health sel- 
dom die with this disease, but it is verv destructive 



118 Painting on Glass. 

when it attacks sickly children, and those who have 
been poorly fed and clothed. 

In measles, the abundance of the eruption and the 
severity of the disease is not considered very danger- 
ous. The patient usually has a great difficulty of 
breathing, and not unfrequently a violent cough, 
but even these are not so very dangerous. The 
great danger consists in the secondary inflammation 
that comes after the fever and eruption have passed 
away. This usually happens about the ninth or 
tenth day. Now is the time to exercise care and 
judgment. If you cram the patient with strong food, 
you will greatly increase this secondary inflammation 
and endanger his life. When he beg'ins to recover, 
you will undoubtedly feel like giving him strong food 
to strengthen him. I warn you to be careful. Let 
him eat but little, and that of some light easily di- 
gested food. Very little medicine is necessary at any 
time during this disease. Bathe the body frequent- 
ly, and counteract restlesness, headache, cough, &c, 
with the usual remedies. In this as in all other fe- 
vers, the room should be well ventilated. This should 
not be neglected. 

Painting on Glass. 

The only difference between ordinary painting and 
painting on glass is, that in the latter all transpar- 
ent colors are used instead of opaque ones, and the 



To Soften Hard Water. 119 

colors being ground up with turpentine and varnish 
instead of oil. In painting upon glass, it is neces- 
sary occasionally to place the picture between the 
artist and the light, to enable him to see the effect, 
the light having the property of casting a yellowish 
tinge upon all colors so exposed. 

To persons having a knowledge of coloring, this 
is easily learned, and affords a handsome remunera- 
tion. 

To Soften Hard Water. 

Put a very little lime into a barrel of hard water, 
and in about an hour stir it up. Then let it settle. 
Another and a better way is to boil the water and 
then leave it exposed to the atmosphere. This will 
also purify river water. Please write this down in 
your memory, and sometime it will be of use to you. 
Simple things are occasionally important things. 

Patent Gold and Silver Counterfeit De- 
tector. 

Take one ounce nitrate of silver, pure crystals, and one quart 
pure rain water. Add together, shake weft, and it is fit for use 
To be put up in drachm vials, and sold for twenty-five cents a vial. 

I once met a man selling this on the streets in 
Cincinnati. He sold it very readily. I saw one 
man pay him ten dollars for the recipe. The mix- 
ture turns black when applied to counterfeit silver, 
and green when applied to counterfeit gold. 



120 Butter. 

Paste that will Keep. 

Dissolve a tablespoonful of alum in a quart of warm water. — 
When cold stir in as much flour as will give it the consistency of 
thick cream, being particular to beat up all the lump?, then stir 
in as much powdered rosin as will stand on a dime, and throw in 
half-a-dozen cloves, to give a pleasant odor. Have on the tire a 
teacnpful or more of boiling water, pour the flour mixture into it, 
stirring well all the time. In a very few minutes it will b« of the 
consistency of mush. Pour it into an earthen or china vessel ; let 
it cool ; lay a cover on and put it in a cool place. When needed 
for use, take out a portion and soften it with warm water. Paste 
thus made will last twelve mouths. It is better than gum as it 
does not gloss the paper and can l5e written on. 

Butter. 

Dairy men who know more about making butte r 
than I do, say that the yield of cream is much great- 
er f-om a certain quantity of milk if it is put into 
large shallow pans so as to not be more than two 
Inches deep ; better have it less than more than two 
inches deep: Those who can get plenty of clear 
cold spring water, will find it to their advantage to 
put a little in the pans before the milk is turned in. 
Set the pans on the shelves or in some convenient 
place. Then put in about one fourth as much of the 
clear cold spring water as you intend to put in of 
mi'k. After the water is put in, pour the milk in, 
and let it stand twelve hours. Then skim. You 
can ' set the pans on the shelves before the milk is 
poured in or immediately after. There are two good 
reasons why you should put the cold spring water 
in the pans. You get more cream and it is better. 
Butter made from such cream will have nome of the 
strong taste arising f^om leaves and coarse pasture 






Butter. 121 

age. The water cools the milk so that the cream 
commences rising immediately, and therefore, has 
time to rise, even in warm weather, before the milk 
begins to be sour. 

In order to make good butter observe the follow- 
ing rules. 

Never set cream to rise in a damp cellar. If you do the cream 
will be injured, and give the butter a mouldy, unpleasant taste. 

If the milk is allowed to stand too long before being skimmed, 
the butter will have a disagreeable taste. I hardly know how to 
describe the taste unless I call it cheesy. 

When the cream is kept too long before it is churned, the but- 
ter will have a sour, mouldy, cheesy taste. Therefore if you 
want good butter churn in season. 

Good butter has a pleasant aroma quite essential to the taste. 
If you wash the butter in water you will destroy this beautiful ' 
aroma. 

Do riot take butter in your hands. The warmth of the hand is 
slight, but still sufficient to melt a portion of the globules. This 
will give I e. Many find their butter becomes rancid 

in a short time, and wonder what the cause is. Butter that has 
been worked with the hands always becomes rancid much sooner 
than when worked without a touch from the hands. 

Milk should be set in dry, open, airy places. It should never be 
put in a cellar unless the cellar is dry and well ventillated. Of 
course it should be in a cool shady place, but if possible that place 
should be above ground. 

In warm weather milk should be skimmed in twelve hours. It 
may then set twelve hours longer and then be skimmed again, 
but do not stir the pan at the first skimming. If you want to 
made good butter in warm weather, churn every morning. In 
•coUl weather the cream may be kept longer. 

When churning keep the cream about as warm as the milk when 
first drawn from the cow. This will cause the butter to come 
more readily. 

Butter should be taken from the churn with a wooden ladle in- 
to a wooden tray. Before using, the tray and ladle should be well 
scalded and then cooled with cold water. The salt should be well 
worked in, but in no case should the butter be touched with the 
hands. 

In looking over my recipes I find the following, 
which I have never tried, and don't know of any one 
who has, but as it may prove useful I give it a 



place : 



F 



1*21 Butter, 

Rancid butter may be restored by melting it in a water bath, 
with some coarsely powdered animal charcoal, and strained 
through flannel. The charcoal used should be thoroughly sifted 
from dust. 

You can preserve butter for any length of time 

by carefully following these directions : 

In the first place carefully work out all the buttermilk you 
possibly can, and use rock salt. Then pack the butter in air-tight 
jars or cans. It is quite essential that the jars or cans should be 
air tight. 

I am told that butter carefully prepared as above, 
and kept in a cool place, will be as good in two years 
as it is the day it is put into the jars. If this is the 
case, it is of considerable importance. 

During the warm months of summer, merchants have a chance 
to take in more butter than they can sell. When they have no 
jars or cans that can be corked so as to be air tight, the best 
plan is to pack the butter as above, filling the jars up within two 
or three inches of the top, and then pour on enough strong brine 
to fill the jar full. Instead of the brine, some lay a thin cloth 
over the butter, and then cover it about half an inch thick with 
common salt. The jars should be placed in a dry, but cool cellar. 
If the cellar is dry and the bottom of it sandy, a good plan is to 
dig holes in the bottom of the cellar, just deep enough and large 
enough to put the jar in and have the top of the jar come up just 
above the surface. Then pack the sand around the jars as closely 
as you can. Then put a board over the jar to keep the dirt out. 
Do not d ig a hole in the bottom of the cellar and put the jar in, 
unless the bottom is sandy and dry. Never put two lots of butter 
in the same jar because when different lots of butter are mixed, 
the whole is quite likely to be spoiled. Never pack butter in 
kegs if j-ou can get jars enough, but if you must use kegs, let the 
outside be well painted. 

Purchasers of butter will do well to refuse that in which there 
is much water. The water can usually be seen exuding from the 
bad samples. 

If you have on hand a lot of butter which is too salt for use, 
churn it with new milk in the proportion of one pound of butter 
to one quart of milk. Churn it and work it over, the same as 
you would fresh butter. 

A bad lot of butter may be greatly improved by first dissolving 
it in water just hot enough to melt it ; if the water is very hot it 
will make it oily, and not be as well. Let it cool and then skim. 
Then add a little new milk and churn again. 



Fruit. 12S 

Fruit. 

There are many ways recommended to preserve 

fruit in a state of soundness, and make it keep its 

original color and flavor. If the following is not the 

very best, I think it is at least as good as any now 

in use : 

Put 1 pound of rosin, 2 pounds of tallow and 1 ounce of bees- 
wax into an iron kettle. Place over a slow fire and let the ingre- 
dients dissolve, but do, not let it boil. For preserving oranges, 
lemons, apples and pears, take each one separately and wipe it 
carefully with a dry cloth. Then rub it over with fine chalk, to 
prevent the coating from adhering to the fruit, and dip it into the 
solution while warm, but not hot. Do not let the fruit remain in 
the solution, but simply dip it in once. Hold it up a moment to 
let the coating get a little dry. It may then be carefully packed 
away. In dipping the fruit hold it by the stem with the thumb 
and finger if you can, if not, loop a small thread around to hold 
it. Apples and pears may be packed away in boxes or barrels, but 
oranges and lemons should be placed on shelves far enough apart 
to not touch each other. This same composition may be used for 
sealing up air-tight cans and jars. Sound fruit may be put up in 
air-tight vessels without being coated over with the composition. 
I think it is better to put fruit up in air tight cans than to coat 
them over with any kind of a composition. 

Good sound, ripe fruit is positively conducive to he alth an d 
should be eaten freely, especially in warm weather. Apples' 
peaches, cherries, wild berries, &c, instead of being injurious are 
very beneficial. The maladies that many suppose to have their 
origin in a free use of fruit, would not be as prevaleutand de- 
structive, if fruit were used still more freely. Unripe and unsound 
fruit should not be eaten. If you have an apple, before you eat 
it, pare it, take the core out and cut out all the bruised and de- 
cayed spots. Do the same with peaches, pears, &c. Ripe melons 
may be freely eaten. Never eat any fruit that is not ripe and 
sound. 

If every one would make it a rule to eat one orange every day, 
in warm weather and one apple every day in cold weather, there 
would be much less sickpess mthe country, but I would not re- 
strict you to eating only one — eat more, but only eat when you 
need food aird let the fruit take the place of other food. 

The reason that summer fruits do so much mischief is because 
we eat as much as we need of other food and then cram ourselves 
with fruit because it tastes good. The fruit would not have in- 
jured us, if we had not eaten too much of something el6e. When 
we eat freely of fruit, we should not eat as freely of other food. 
Ripe currants are especially good food. Never eat any kind of 
fruit or anything else just before going to bed. It is best to not 
eat any fruit after supper. 



124 An Infallible Eemedy. 

To Remove the Smell of Paint. 

Put one ounce of oil of vitriol in a bucket of water and place it 
in the room just painted. If necessary, renew occasionally. This 
will destroy the disagreeable odor sb that you may remain in a 
newly painted room without noticing the difference between that 
and one that has been painted for a long time. 

An Infallible Remedy. 

Every intelligent physician knows that no such 
remedy has yet been discovered, and the great prob- 
ability is that no such remedy will ever be found. — 
There is no medicine that is sure to cure in every 
case. The human system demands good treatment, 
good nursing and, proper dieting, and frequent bath- 
ing. If any one supposes that a remedy can be 
found to cure disease when all these are continually 
neglected, he is greatly mistaken. He who is con- 
tinually over-eating and indulging in forbidden lux- 
uries, will suffer in spite of any remedy that may be 
offered. Violate the conditions of health, and you 
will suffer the consequences. 

Always breathe pure air if possible. Impure air 
has a great tendency to vitiate one's habits of tho't. 
Breathing impure air not only injures the physical 
health, but has a great tendency to make one moral- 
ly mean. Sleeping in small tight rooms with the 
doors and windows closely shut, is very injurious to 
the physical and moral condition of the sleeper. Un- 
pleasant dreams are not unfrequently the result of 
the foul air of the bedroom. Florence Nightingale, 
who went as volunteer nurse, and whose services 



An Infallible Kerned?. 125 

were very acceptable in th e Crimean war, writes as 

follows : 

"An extrordinary fallacy is the dread of night air. What air 
can we breathe at night but night air? The choice is between 
pure night air from without and foul night air from within. Most 
people prefer the latter. An unaccountable choice. What will 
they say if it is proved to be true that fully one-half of all the dis- 
ease we sutler from, is occasioned bj' people sleeping with their 
windows shut? An open window most nights in the year can 
never hurt any one. This is not to say that the light is "not nec- 
essary for recovery. In great cities, night air is often the best and 
purest air to be had in the twenty-four hours. I could better un- 
derstand shutting the windows in towns during the daytime than 
during the night, for the sake of the sick. The absence of smoke, 
the quiet all tend to make night the best time for airing the pa- 
tient. One of our highest medical authorities on consumption 
and climate, has told me that the air in London is never so good 
as after ten o'clock at night. Always air your room, then, from 
the outside air, if possible. Windows are made to open, doors are 
made to shut — a truth which seems extremely difficult of appre- 
hension. Every room must be aired from without, every passage 
from within, but the fewer passages there are in a hospital the 
better.' 1 

Here we have much sense in a few words. Hence- 
forth let my readers sleep in well ventilated rooms. 

No one should eat a hearty meal just before going 
to bed. If you have eaten a hearty meal for supper, 
or if you have eaten anything a short time before re- 
tiring, it is better to go to sleep on the right side ; — 
but if you have eaten only a light supper, and that 
was eaten two or three hours before bed time, you 
may go to sleep on either side, or on your back if 
you choose. Some medical writer gives hi3 reason 
for sleeping on the right side, in substance as follows : 
I quote from memory. 

" If you sleep on the right side the stomach is very much in the 
position of a bottle turned upside down. This gives the contents 
of the stomach a chance to pass out more readily than if you are 
laying on the left side or on the back. If you sleep on the left side 
the contents of the stoniach pass up instead of down, in which 



126 An Infallible Eemody. 

case gravitation hinders instead of aids in the work. If you have 
eaten a J&earty meal and go to sleep on the back, the weight of 
the food rests on the great vein near the back bone and hinders 
the flow of blood. The partial arrest of the blood disturbs the 
sleep aad causes unpleasant dreams. If the meal was eaten only 
a short time before retiring it is more likely to do mischief. Va- 



rious sensations are produced. Large or hearty meals eaten just 

" lg to bed, ire 
causes death." 



before going to bed, frequently cause nightmare, which sometimes 



If possible always sleep with the mouth closed, so 
the air will pass through the nostrils. 

Bed rooms should always be so constructed that 
the head of the bed may be towards the north. Some 
years ago I was in very poor health. Before I had 
ever read or heard anything on the subject, I found 
that I rested better when my head was towards the 
north. This led me to investigate the matter more 
closely. To test the matter I would sleep one night 
with my head to the north, another night with my 
head to the south, then with my head to the west, 
and then to the east. Sleeping with my head' to the 
north I rested best, and then next best as follows : 
south, west, east, Since then I have heard various 
reasons given why one should sleep with his head to 
the north, none of which are satisfactory to me. I 
simply give the facts in the case. Why it is so I 
know not. Since I have regained my health, I can- 
not realize any difference whether I sleep with my 
head to the north or in some other direction. 

Weak and sickly persons will often be more ben- 
efitted by a change of scenery than by swallowing a 
cart load of medicines. If you are in poor health, 



Oostiveness, 127 

and consequently despondent, gloomy and sad, start 
off on a journey, see new things and form new ac- 
quaintances. 

Oostiveness. 

The passions of the mind exercise a great control 
over this complaint. He who is constantly com- 
plaining and fretting will soon run himself into a 
state of poor health, with costiveness as one of his 
ills. Cheerfulness is the first remedy I would re- 
commend. Surround yourself with beautiful scenery 
and live among cheerful companions as much as pos- 
sible. Try to make others happy. Health, virtue, 
happiness, and beauty belong to the same family.— 
They are fond and firm friends, and like all true 
friends mutually improve each other. 

A person may be costive for a long time without 
seriously injuring his health, but it is not well to 
let the complaint run too long. The following hints 
and directions will be of great use to those who heed 

them : 

Never procrastinate the hour of obedience when nature calls. — 
Such procrastination often brings on costive habits, and if per- 
sisted in may lead to serious results. Every person should have 
a regular daily passage. Probably the best time for this is at 
rising in the morning, or immediately after breakfast. But if your 
daily duties make it inconvenient to attend to this function at 
that hour, then adopt some other hour, but by all means have 
some particular hour to attend to nature's demands. Always be 
there at the appointed time, and make an effort to have a pas- 
sage of the bowels. In this way you will soon teach the intestines 
to respond promptly at that p'eriod. If you have for a long time 
been in the habit of putting off these calls of nature till you are 
very costive, you may have to make quite a number of trials be- 
fore you succeed in establishing regularity, but the utmost sys- 
tem and regularity are required. By negligence and procrastina- 



128 Piles. 

tion you call in many evils and aches. If I can make you under- 
stand the importance of regularity in going to stool at the usual 
time, I shall easily induce you to adopt that practice. 

Persons who lead a sedentary life and those who have been long 
troubled with costiveness should eat pretty freely of Graham 
Dread and apple sauce, especially for breakfast. Persons whose 
occupations keep them within doors most of the time, should not 
eat meat more than once a week nor warm biscuits more than 
twice a week, and then not for supper. They should not drink 
coffee at any time. 

In long continued or obstinate cases of costiveness, stir one ta- 
blespoouful of corn meal or Graham hour into a large tumbler of 
water and drink it at least half an hour before breakfast. Repeat 
the dose every morning as long as necessary. Those troubled with 
costiveness should never eat anything between meals, \mless it is 
tigs, apples, peaches, or some other sound, ripe fruit. The mind 
has such complete control over this complaint, that anyone able 
to be up and doing (if he has an ordinary supply of mental 
strength) can follow these directions I have given, and be cured 
without taking the first dose of medicine. 

Piles. 

To some extent this disease can be controlled by 
the mind, but perhaps not as completely as costive- 
ness, though it is by no means an incurable disease. 
The disease is wide spread and well known. There 
are many forms and painful symptoms of this disease. 
The four most prominent and distinct forms are, 

1. Blind Piles; 

2. Mucous Piles; 

3. Bleeding Piles, 

4. Excrescential Piles; 

The first form consists in a distension of the membranes and 
vessels within the rectum. 

In the second form there is a discharge of mucous or pus that 
exudes from the abraded surface in the rectum. These excoria- 
ted places are frequently mistaken for ulcers. 

In the third form there is considerable pain and uneasiness. — 
During evacuation there is usually some discharge of blood. 

The fourth form is much more difficult to cure than either of 
the others, but still it is not incurable. In this form of the dis- 
ease there will be fleshy 1 amors in the upper part of the rectum. 
These are usually removed by surgical operation, though as a gen- 
eral thing I think there is a better way. 

Not unfrequ entry piles originate from mental dis- 
turbance. Long continued excitement or great anx- 



Piles. 129 

iety in any direction may cause a person to have the 
piles. In severe cases the patient must be kept men- 
tally and physically quiet. If this is neglected oth- 
er remedies will be of but little use. The remedies 
for this disease are almost innumerable, but they oft- 
en fail because of mental excitement, or it may be 
sorrow and anxiety of the patient. Everything that 
has a tendency to make the patient mentally uneasy 
or discontented should be carefully avoided. Ob- 
serve the following directions for treatment: 

The regularity recommended in eases of costiveness are to be 
observed rabre closely, if possible, in this disease. Never read or 
think intently while engaged in the function of evacuation. In 
case the lips of the anus protrude, as soon as you are through the 
operation lean forward and carefully press them back within the 
orifice. This should never be neglected. Always put the pro- 
truding part back to its proper place, and you' will altogether 
likely avoid the necessity of any .surgical operation. 

Hydropathic treatment in cases of piles is far better than oint- 
ments and drugs. Daily ablution -with hand friction should not 
be neglected. Many have been cured by taking sitz-baihs lifter 
stools, and every time the pains come on. Remain in the bath 
for twenty minutes, unless the pains leave you sooner. Wipe dry 
with a coarse towel, and then rub with the bare hand. The wa- 
ter should be neither very cold nor very warm, but just, of the 
right temperature to feel comfortable, though it better be too 
cold than too hot. 

There is undoubtedly much superstitious folly 
about charms, but to show that the disease is to seme 
extent controlled by the mind, I will mention this 
fact. In my travels around the country I have met a 
number of persons who carried a horse-chestnut in 
their pockets as a guard against this disease. They 
claimed that as long as they carried the chestnut in 
the pocket the disease would not trouble them, but 



130 Piles. 

if they omitted it even for a few weeks, the disease 
would come on again. 

In the winter of 1860 and 61 while traveling in 
Pennsylvania, I formed a slight acquaintance with a 
man who had carried a horse-chestnut in his pata- 
loons pocket for years. He said if he had the mis- 
fortune to lose his chestnut, and go without it for a 
week or two, he would begin to suffer from the dis- 
ease. But on putting another one in its place, the 
trouble would be removed and he would be well again. 

Though I am not much in favor of giving drugs and 
using ointments in this disease, I will give the fol- 
lowing, recipes for the benefit of those who may like 
them better than to use common sense remedies : 

Mix together 4 ounces of hog's lard, 2 drams camphor, and X 
an ounce of laudanum. Apply every night on going to bed. 

A more simple ointment and one that I think is just as good, is 
tallow. Mutton tallow is best. Apply in the usual way. 

A medicine to take internally is made as follows: 

Take equal parts of cream of tartar, jalap, senna, flowers of sul- 
phur, and golden seal. Put the whole together in a mortar and 
pulverize thoroughly. Take a teaspoonful in the morning before 
breakfast, and one at night before going to bed. 

Here is an external remedy higly recommended : 

Make a strong decoction by boiling the inner bark of white oak. 
Bathe the rectum with this every night. 

Almost any kind of oil or tallow is good as an ex- 
ternal remedy. Olive oil is said to be very good. — 
Indeed most of the virtue in the ointments in com - 
mon use is the oil or grease in them. The follow- 
ing is a simple and cheap remedy : 



Epilepsy. 131 

Mix 1 teaspoonful of sulphur in a tumblerful of milk. This 
makes oue dose, and should be taken every morning before break - 
fast for a week. Then take a dose once or twice a week as occa- 
sion requires. 

None of these remedies will be of much use with- 
out regularity, proper diet, and cleanliness. You 
may spend hundreds of dollars for medical advice 
and take drugs by the quart, but if you neglect reg- 
ularity and cleanliness you will continue to suffer. 

Mumps. 

This disease is contageons, and sometimes epi- 
demic. In this disease the glands of the throat and 
neck swell, and in many cases cause considerable 
difficulty in breathing, and make it almost impossi- 
ble, to swallow. 

If properly managed this is not a dangerous dis- 
ease, though it requires some care and attention. 

The bowels should be kept open. The patient should remain 
in bed most of the time, and be very careful not to take cold. — 
Drink warm catnip tea, and have some one gently rub the swol- 
len glands. Bathe the part with spirits of camphor half a dozen 
times or more every day. 

Should the disease settle to the testicles or other parts, use su- 
dorific medicines pretty freely, and apply slippery elm poultice 
to the part affected, but if care is used there is no danger that the 
disease will settle. 

Epilepsy. 

This is caused by some disordered state of the 
nervous system, usually commencing in the brain, 
but spreading over the whole system causing a vio- 
lent convulsive contraction of the muscles of the ex- 
tremities. The muscles of the eye, tongue, lower 
iaw and bladder contract violently. These symp- 



132 Salavation, 

toms are attended with a foaming at the mouth, and 
total loss of sensation. Apparent sleep follows, and 
as soon as the patient becomes sensible again he com- 
plains of heaviness of the head and general weari- 
ness. Sometimes these fits come on suddenly, but 
usually the patient has warning in such symptoms 
as pain in the head, unusual weariness and great 
dimness of the eyes. 

This is indeed a frightful malady, and during the 
fit the patient should be closely watched and great 
care taken to prevent him from injuring himself by 
the QTcat violence of his struggles. Observe the fol- 
lowing directions in an attack of this kind: 

Put a piece of wocdiietween the patient's teeth, and use the 

rom lutmgjhis tongue, Im- 
I elevate the head. Do not give 

■ to drink from while the conv 

y other time when he is thirsty give him a cup of but- 
ter milk j: or drinki n In mors often cause the 
■ an emetic may be given. 
Persons Bubject to this disease sometimes have what they call 
to them that they must eat something 
wnd 1 '."l;en these hungry spells come on be 
very oo much. Pr< I ably it would not hurt 
you to eat ou yield to the temptation of your ap- 

■ till you do n< 7 more, you 

I ck of epile] 
Thi Palling Sickn howerbath 

. day, after patient needs rubbing 

■ healthy person. Purgatives may "be 
•finer. Avoid excitement. 
This ' i "»' indigestion. 

thine,' bet- pea nut. 

•sy. An emetic or 

I ban that I wo't 

Salivation. 

Thi ;uch the opposite of thirst. There 



Salivation. 133 

is an undue flow of saliva. This is caused in vari- 
ous way s. In order to cure this complaint, find out 
the cause and remove it. 

Salivation is often produced by using mercury as 
a medicine. If the patient is exposed to the cold 
or drinks strong drink or very cold water, the dan- 
ger is still greater; 

To stop this inordinate flow of saliva, keep the body cool but 
not cold, live on light food, and keep the bowels regular. If any- 
thing further is necessary, mix two drams of bruised nut-galls in 
a pint of warm but not boiling hot water; keep it warm and stir 
it frequently for three hours; then strain and sweeten. Use this 
;argle to wa.->h the throat and mouth, but do not swallow it. 

When salivation is caused by smoking or chew- 
ing tobacco, quit the vile habit and use the above 
gargle. 

Here let me enter my protest against the use of 
tobacco in any form or shape. I have no long lec- 
ture to give, but it is undoubtedly true that many of 
the ills that flesh is heir to arise from the worse than 
useless habit of using tobacco. Unless care is tafeen 
frequent smoking will first turn the teeth yellow and 
then black. The habit is not as injurious to persons 
who are healthy, corpulent and -phlegmatic. Deli- 
cate persons cannot stand the waste of the fluids as 
well as the healthy and corpulent. Smoking and 
chewing have a tendency to impair the mental facul- 
ties. Many a man has found his memory growing 
weaker and weaker, without once thinking that he 
was spitting it away with his filthy tobacco juice. 



134 Dyspepsia. 

Nettle Rash. 

This disease begins with the usual symptoms of 
fever. On the second or third day small reddish 
spots make their appearance. These spots look as 
though the skin had been stung by nettles, but in 
the day time they are hardly visible. At night they 
return usually accompanied with fever. In a few 
days small scales come off. 

If the attack is very severe give an emetic and follow it with a 
purgative. Let the diet be light and give the patient cooling 
drinks such as lemonade. 

Dyspepsia. 

Dyspepsia and despair usually go together. What- 
ever is good for one is good for the other. Cheerful 
companions and pleasant surroundings will do much 
to drive dyspepsia from the system and despair from 
the mind. 

Literary men, lawyers, divines, and all who lead 
sedentary lives, and unnaturally tax the brain, are 
most likely to suffer with this disease. All such 
should so manage their time and affairs that they can 
have frequent opportunities for proper and healthful 
exercise. If at times you feel your food lie heavy 
on the stomach, you may know you are on the road 
to indigestion. This may be accompanied with flat- 
ulence and belching, but the inconvenience at first 
will be only temporary. In a day or two the pa- 
tient may be as well as ever, but if these symptoms 
recur often, the patient is traveling fast towards dys- 



Dyspepsia* 135 

pepsia. The more frequently these symptoms recur 
the more difficult the disease will be to eure. After 
awhile the mouth becomes clammy, and the tongue 
white or of a brownish color. Soon the appetite is 
impaired and there is more than usual thirst, while 
even in warm weather the feet may be uncomfortably 
eool. These are the first symptoms of indigestion. 
Then come the more marked and strong symptoms. 
There is much languor and feebleness both of body 
and mind. Exertion of any kind is painful, and any 
great mental exertion is particularly oppressive ; — 
wandering pains are felt all over the body, and the 
belchings which before were slight, now become 
stronger and decidedly di sagreeable. If the patient 
gets any sleep at all it is disturbed by unpleasant 
dreams. The patient looks pale and is, very likely, 
troubled with headache and dimness of sight. Many 
little objects float before the eyes especially when 
the patient is half a sleep. Not unfrequently ring- 
ing noises are heard in the ears, and if the patient is 
not fretful and irritable it will indeed be a wonder ; 
he may get the reputation of being cross and hate- 
ful. 

As an improper diet often brings on this disease, a proper diet 
will send it off. Not one dose of medicine is needed. The first 
thing to be attended to is out-door exercise. Eat all your meals 
at exactly the same hour each day. Eat nothing between meals. 
Use no tea, coffee or tobacco in any shape or form. Drink no 
spirituous or malt liquors. Avoid everything that will cause 
great anxiety. It is not necessary for you to starve yourself but 
you should not eat highly seasoned food nor over-load the stom- 
ach, with any kind of food. If you are dyspeptic let jne advise 



136 Dyspepsia. 

you to eat no hot bread or biscuit. The more simple the diet the 
better. Eat only a little and chew it well. Eat so little that you 
will be really hungry wheu the next meal time comes around. Do 
not eat imply because it is time and the meal is ready. Your 
physician may tell you to cat only a little and eat often, but that 
what does the mischief. Never eat anything till you arc 
hungry and then do not eat fast or much. There is no danger 
that can arise from 2,-oiirg without food till you are hungry. If 
you drink anything let it be a little warm water, which you may 
sweeten a little and put in a little milk if you choose. 

If you often feel heat in your stomach, wet a piece of flannel in 
cold water and wring it a little but have it quite wet. Lay it over 
the stomach and put a dry cloth over that to prevent wetting the 
clothes. This may be put on any time during the day or night. 
"IJj^best time to put it on is at night when you go to bed, and 
{^■p.itrou till morning. AYhen you take it oft bathe the part 
l^Keold water and wipe it dry and if you then rub it briskly 
wroi the hand, it will be all the better. 

The great trouble with dyspeptics is, they eat more than twice 
the food they need. Please remember this and profit by it. If 
von eat so much at one meal that you do not feel hungry at the 
next meal time, either skip that meal entirely or eat less than be- 
fore. Eat onlv such food as digests easily. If you suffer after 
meals keep lessening the quantity till you feel perfectly comfort- 
able after eating. 

Do not expect to be perfectly cured in one week or one year,— 
e remember that lor years you have been filling your stom- 
ach with improper food, and even when you ate proper food you 
.eh. Commence now and live more as you should live. 
Many practice a system of diet for a week or two, and then be- 
cause they are not, cured, give it up and fall back into all their 
former im] Igenees. If you expect to succeed you must 

If you go to a Christmas party or some other party 
where ihere are many nice things to eai,you wilt very likely con- 
clude that '■ ju.-t for this once." you will eat what you please, 
and as much as you please; but I wain you to be careful. One 
evening of over indulgence may set you back mure than a whole 
month of careful dieting has set you* forward. 

Dyspeptics arc quite apt to eat as much as they need of com- 
mon food, and sometimes more, and then finish up with a large, 
piece of pie and a taste of all the dainties on the tabl e. If they 
would omit all of the common food, and eat no more than the 
usual amount of pie and dainties, it would not be as bad for them. 
Indeed, I do not think the puddings, cakes, and pies are really eo 
injurious, it is the over eating that does the mischief. The prin- 
cipal merit of Graham or brown bread is in the fact that we eat 
and do not eat as much of it. Yv T arm bread and biscuits 
hurt a we eat them too fast and butter them too math. 

1 recommend plain, simple food because I know you will not be 
as likely to eat as much of it as you would of food more highly 
seasoned. 

The habit of eating between meals is particularly injurious.— 
Man - dyspeptics eat more than enough between meals, and then 
cat as much as a laboring man needs at the usual meal time— 




Dyspepsia. 157 

Kaisins, apples, Candy etc., are not so injurious in quality as in 
forcing- the system to take them in when it has more than it needs 
of something else. 

I have now given directions and suggestions 
which, if followed, will be sure to cure your dyspep- 
sia and make you well again. I am almost tempted 
ed to stop here and say nothing about the medicines 
often used to cure dyspepsia, but I will give a few 
of the least harmless remedies, at the same tii 
ing the reader that the better way is to cure 
ease without medicine. 

Take equal parts of powdered rhubarb, socotrine aloes, and 
seammong. Mix well and add a few drops of thin gum wut< i\ — 
Ma Ice into pills about one-third the usual size and take one every 
morning before breakfast. 

To commence with, many physicians recommend 
an emetic and then a cathartic. 

Taki bark 1 pound, fyt an ounce of cayenne pepper, 

and 1 ounce of cloves. Pulverize and mix well. Put % a tea- 
spoonful of this into a cup of hot water and sweeten to the taste. 
It will be pleasanter to put in a little miik. Drink a swallow or 
two before each meal. You can make it stronger or weaker as 
you think best. 

Please use this tea instead of whiskey to keep you 
warm in a cold day. Another remedy is : 

Take a teaspoonful of pulverized charcoal in hot water every 
third morning before breakfast. 

Sweet-flag root is very highly recommended. Carry a little of 
it in the pocket and eat a small bit of it occasionally'. 

Wild cherries put into whiskey is very highly recommended. — 
I should prefer preparing it without whiskey. Make a strong de- 
coction of the berries after they have been pressed, by pouring 
hot water on them and letting them stand about four hours. — 
Then sweeten and take a swallow three or four times a day. 

Many kinds of biscuits and are recommended, but 

I will simply say that Graham bread is good enough. 

If you have dyspepsia, use some of these simple 



138 - - ' Heartburn. Colic, 

remedies, or take no medicine at all, and diet as I 
have recommended. 

Heartburn. 

This disease is a disorder of the stomach instead 
of a disease of the heart. It is caused most frequent- 
ly by overloading the stomach. In all such cases 
eat less, and masticate your food well. 

In uJ»Il- cases of heartburn relief may be had by drinking a 
little Sfcji-atu* water, or the acidity may be neutralized by any 
of thempaline earths, but none of these will permanently cure 
the di&ffub. For a permanent cure eat but little <ind eat only 
such food a* you find by experience is less likely to bring on the 
disorder. 

Sometimes when the patient has for a long time 
been in the habit of eating too much, he will find 
that abstinence from food does not bring immediate 
relief. I have heard the following remedy highly 
recommended : 

Take equal parts of fresh ox-gall and assafoetida. Make into 
common sized pills and take one about an hour before each meal, 
and another about an hour after each meal. In a few days you 
will be free from heartburn. 

Here is another remedy which I presume is equal- 
ly as good, and certainly more agreeable : 

Take an orange and squeeze out all the juice; put this juice in- 
to a large tumbler of water and sweeten; then stir in half a tea- 
spoonful of bicarbonate of soda. Drink when effervescence ensues. 

Colic. 

Over indulgence in eating unripe fruit often brings 
on this distressing complaint. Griping pains are 
felt in the bowels, chiefly about the navel. These 
pains are often accompanied by vomiting and purg- 
ing. 



Dysentery. 139 

When these symptoms are yery strong, rub up 
one drop of croton oil with an ounce of rather thick 
mucilage and sweeten it with sugar. Take it and if 
necessary, repeat the dose in three or four hours. — 
When the symptons are not very severe, let the pa- 
tient drink pretty freely of spearmint or peppermint 
tea. 

Some persons have colic occasionally without the 
symptoms of vomiting and purging. In such eases 
steep the root of blue vervain in water. Drink it 
freely as pou would spearmint tea, It gives imme- 
diate relief. Drink a little of this tea, two or three 
times a day for six weeks and your "spells of colic" 
will not "come on" as frequently as before, and they 
may not come at all. 

Dysentery. 

This is an alarming disorder and needs careful at- 
tention. Bloody flux, as this disease is often called, 
may be communicated by infection, but it is oftener 
caused by bad diet or improper expos ure. It begins 
with frequent griping pains in the intestines, and 
looseness of the bowels. There is usually consider- 
able chilliness with hot flashes. .The patient feels 
nausea, and often a little headache. Among the first 
symptoms is lassitude, quick pulse and great thirst. 
At first the discharges are mu cous and slightly 
mixed with blood, while the patient feels a bearing 



140 Dysentery. 

down as though Ihe whole bowels were about to fall 
out. The passages are attended with acute pain and 
severe griping. 

Dysentery is very much like typhoid fever with inflammation Of 
the hovels added. The sanie treatment recommended in typhoid 
fever is recommended here, but there is a better -way than tokOep 
the patient full of medicine. I will give a treatment that I con- 
sider better than physic taking. 

Perhaps you think the patient should eat all he can to keep the 
strength up, but this a very wrong idea. The greatest danger 1 is 
in too much eating. If you would cure the disease without leav- 
ing any bad effect in the system, eat but little, or what is better, 
eat nothing at all for a few days, and when you commence eating 
again eat only a little at a time, and that not oftener than at reg- 
ular meal times. Should it become necessary to take anything 
to keep up the strength while the disease is on you, you may take 
a little flax-seed tea, or slippery elm tea, or the broth of mutton, 
or something else of that nature, simple and light. 

Take a warm sitz-bath every day, or oftener if thought best. — 
Remain in the water about 15 minutes. After coming out of the 
water dry the skin by wiping the whole surface with a towel. Then 
let some strong, healthy person rub the whole surface with his 
bare hands. Then coyer the bowels with cotton, on which has 
been sprinkled a little camphor gum. The bowels and stomach 
Id be kept warm by external applications. The feet and 
bould be kept warm in the same way. If they are not warm 
enough, warm a piece of flannel and wrap around them. Renew 
the warm flannel often enough to keep the bowels, stomach and 
extremities warm. Remain as quiet as possible. Lie in bed most, 
of the time, and do not let the mind become excited about any- 
thing. This treatment will usually cure the disease in three or 
four days. 

When the disease becomes chronic, it takes a little longer to 
cure it. Eat sparingly of wholesome food. Make a tea of gloves 
and fhix-seed, and drink a swallow occasionally. In chronic dys- 
entery give an injection of tepid water after each passage, or per- 
haps it may be better to occasionally give an injection of slippery 
elm tea instead of water. 

Take one tablespoonful each of Turkey rhubarb, willow char- 
coal, and saleratus. Put the whole in a half-pint bottle and till 
nearly full of water. Then put in a few cloves and half a dozen 
drops' of peppermint essence. Cork it and shake it well occasion- 
ally for twelve hours when it is ready for use. Take a teaspoon- 
fuf of this liquid twice or thrice a day. 

I think I have already pointed out the best course 
to be adopted, but I will give the following for the 
benefit of any one who does not think as I do. 



Jaundice, 141 

Mix sixteen grains sugar of lead with four grains of opium.— 
Make it into a mass with syrup enough to make eight pills. Take 
one pill each day. 

I take the following recipe from a newspaper. I 
do not consider it as dangerous as some remedies of- 
ten recommended. The paper I take it from calls it 
infallible. 

Take one tablcspoonful of common line salt and mix with twice 
the amount of vinegar. Then pour upon it half a pint of warm 
Water, and let it stand until cool. It should always be taken when 
cool. A wine glaSB full of this mixture taken every hour will he 
found quite efficacious in curing dysentary. Should it nauseate 
the .stomach, do not take it quite so often, for a child, take the 
sam3 proportions, but do not give quite so much of it at a time. 

Jaundice. 

When the blood becomes loaded with bile, it tin- 
ges the skin and white of the eve with a yellow hue, 
more or less deep, in proportion to the obstruction 
which prevents the bile passing off. 

Among the causes which bring on jaundice, may 
be reckoned violent passions, catching cold, taking 
too many purgatives. 

Decidedly the best treatment for this disease is to 
live on proper food and bathe frequently. After 
each bath apply friction to the whole surface. This 

is quite important. 

§haye off half a wineglass full of ca^tile .soap, and rill up with 
water or milk if you choose — stir it a little and drink immediately. 
Tlii- should be taken in the morning just before breakfast. 

The following is highly recommended by those 
who have nsed it : 

Take one tablespoouful each of allspice, brimstone and tumeric . 
Pulverize them all together, and then thoroughly mix them with 
half a pint of m Take one tablespoonful every other 

morning, and on the mornings when you omLt the medicine, take 
a bath. Continue this for two weeks if necessary. 



142 Liver Complaint. 

Make a strong tea of dandelion and occasionally take a swal- 
low. 

Liver Complaint. 

Many of the diseases that flesh is heir to go under 
the name of Liver Complaint, but at present I wish 
to notice actual disorders of the liver. Among the 
causes of liver disease may be enumerated the ex- 
hausting influences of heat and the sudden check of 
free perspiration, eating too much highly seasoned 
food, and taking too little exercise, also drinking ar- 
dent spirits. Great anxiety or excessive mental la- 
bor may bring on liver complaint. 

In acute inflammation of the liver, there is a sense 
of pain and uneasiness in the right side. This pain 
is much increased by pressure or by any sudden jerk, 
or even a slight blow on the side. Not unfrequently 
there will be pain in the right shoulder especially at 
the top. This pain is often felt quite severely be- 
tween the shoulders. The complexion often becomes 
sallow and the appetite depraved. Often there will 
be a great depression of spirits. The bowels become 
irregular, and the stools more than commonly offen- 
sive. There is sometimes great debility and consid- 
erable emaciation, which in some cases make the pa- 
tient and his friends think he is "almost gone with 
consumption." When there is great emaciation and 
debility, there is usually considerable cough and ex- 
pectoration, with difficulty of lying on the left side. 



Liver Complaint. 143 

The urine is of a deep yellow color, aad in many ca- 
ses the patient has considerable fever. Often there 
will be a difficulty of breathing, and sometimes the 
cough will be dry, instead of being attended with ex- 
pectoration. The patient is more than usually 
thirsty. Sometimes nauseating and vomiting ensue. 
Formerly it was supposed that in liver complaint 
nothing but mercury would do much good, but hap- 
pily that false idea has not at present much hold on 
the minds of the intelligent. My advice is, never 
use mercury in any of its forms. 

Drink pretty freely of dandelion tea and sarsaparilla tea.— 
Cheerfulness, though often a difficult medicine to get hold of, is 
the first and best to use in curing this disease. While this disease 
is upon you, you may eat rather plentifully of nutritious food 
which has been selected from the vegetable kingdom, though the 
supper should be rather light. For supper eat nothing sweet or 
very sour. Eat no butter nor anything else for supper that is 
much salted. If the patient does nbt have a regular daily passage 
of the bowels, a mild cathartic maybe given once a week, but 
not oftener than that. 

When the liver is simply torpid and inactive, the 
eyes seem to swell in their sockets, and there is se- 
vere pain in the front and lower portion of the brain. 

In such a case the best remedy is to give the patient a thorough 
washing all over, and wipe perfectly dry. Then let a healthy 

?erson rub and pound the parts most affected with the open hand, 
hese baths with rubbing and pounding should be given when the 
patient is feeling best and most free from pain. 

When there is severe and constant pain in the side, make a 
strong decoction of smart-weed and wormwood. Then at night 
before going to bed, bathe the side with this decoction and rub it 
in well before a hot fire, or what will be more convenient, heat an 
iron and hold it near the side while rubbing. 

A good remedy to keep the bowels free, is made of equal paets 
by weight of dried mandrake root, dandelion root, spearmint 
leaves, and blood root. Make a strong decoction of the above 
with warm water, and take enough of it occasionally to act as a 
laxative. Vomiting at any time may be checked in the usual way 



144 Worms. 

Worms. 

Nobody has yet been able to decide the question, 
how worms are produced and propogated in the bow- 
els, but it is quite evident they are often there. It 
is pretty generally believed that worms do not affect 
adults as frequently as they do children. This, 
however is a great error. Experience proves that as 
many grown people as children pre affected with 
worms. Persons of sedentary habits are most like- 
ly to be thus affected. Those who are troubled with 
dyspepsia are quite apt to be troubled with worms. 

The presence of worms will bring so many differ- 
ent symptoms that it is often difficult to decide wheth- 
er it is worms, or some other disease. There are no 
infallible signs to indicate the presence of worms ex- 
cept to actually see them. I will give a description 
of some of the symptoms which are most likely to 
prove their presence : 

If the belly is hard with an itching of the fundament, it is one 
of the most certain signs. The breath smells very disagreeable 
in the morning and sometimes all day. The nose itches, the ap- 
petite is voracious, and the patient frequently desires to go to 
stool. The symptoms are so numerous and so well known that I 
will not dwell on them. 

The remedies recommended for worms are even 
more numerous than the symptoms. Costiveness 
must be removed before a person affected with worms 
can be cured, 

Children, or other persons affected with worms, 
should not be allowed to eat candy or any kind of 



Tape Worm. 145 

sweet food. Cakes, preserves, pies, puddings, &c., 
should be avoided. 

Take 1 ounce of good quick lime, put it into a dish large enough 
for the purpose, and pour in 1 quart of rain water. Cover it up 
and let it stand till the lime is well slacked. Stir it well and let it 
settle. Then pour off the clear water, put it into a bottle and 
add a very little of the oil of cloves or a few cloves. Keep the 
bottle corked. For a child take about a wine-glass full of this in 
beef tea or some other soup. A grown person can take more. — 
No harm will be done if you take an over dose. Take a dose a 
:i few minutes before each meal. Continue this for a month or 
two, and the worms will not only disappear, but the general 
health will be greatly improved. 

If the itching of the fundament is very severe, mix a little of 
the lime and clove water with beef tea and inject a little of it in 
the usual way. This will kill every worm it touches. 

Mix a little finely powdered cloves with whatever you eat for 
supper, and drink a swallow of weak clove tea just before goiug 
t ( > bed. About twice a week give an Injection of a teaspoonful of 
linseed oil in a sufficient quantity of warm water. 
, I am told that an injection of a weak decoction of cabbage 
leaves is excel lenl . 

Use more than the usual quantity of salt with your food when 
troubled with worms. 

In very obstinate eases a little spirits of turpentine may be giv- 
en, but I would not advise you to give much. 

Tansy and oiiici I ,.'ter herbs are very highly recommended, 
but they are useful only been use they strengthen the bowels. 

Tape Worm. 

The presence of this worm in the bowels is very 
annoying and distressing. The same treatment rec- 
ommended for common worms is safe to use in cases 
of tape worm, but sometimes the tape worm will not 
leave on a gentle invitation to be gone. 

Rectified oil of turpentine is a very powerful remedy and often 
used with great success. For an adult, take 1 ounce of the oil in 
a glass of peppermint water sweetened with honey Repeat the 
dose every six hours till the worm is expelled. Four or rive doses 
will usually be enough. After the worm is expelled take a dose 
of castor oil. 

I have given the above, recipe as it was given to 
me, but I think a do3e every six hours is too often. 
I would say once in twelve hours. For children the 

a 



146 Diabetes. 

dose should not be so large, and should be giv en in 
new milk sweetened with honey. 

When the worm begins to pass from the bowels, be very care- 
ful and not break it oft', bin lot it all come away, for if any part 
of it is left in the bowels it will live and grow till it is as trouble- 
some as before any part of it passed away. 

If you have reason to think that a tape worm is making his 
home in your bowels, drink freely of si ippery elm tea, and carry 
some of the bark with you to chew and swallow. I have heard 
of cases where this remedy alone has been sufficient to expel the 
tape worm. 

A 6trong tea made of male fern is also useful. 

A decoction of pomegranate bark is said to be a very powerful 
remedy. 

When my father was quite young he was troub- 
led with a tape worm and had taken many kinds of 
medicine without success. He had spells of being 
very hungry. One day in the spring of the year, 
one of these hungry spells came on when he was 
where he could not get anything to eat. He saw 
some small trees (pine trees I think) and went to 
them and peeled off the bark. He then scraped off 
the juice from the tree and inside bark and ate it. — 
He kept eating till he did not feel like eating any 
more. The result was that it killed the tape worm 
which soon passed away. 

Diabetes. 

In this disease there is an immoderate discharge 
of urine. There is m6re urine discharged than all 
the liquid food the patient takes. The discharge is 
of an agreeable smell, and those who are fond of tast- 
ing say it has a sweetish taste. The patient has a 
continual thirsty with some degree of fever. The 



Hooping Oough, 147 

strength soon begins to fail, the appetite is very poor 
and the flesh wastes away. 

This disease should be promptly attended to, be- 
cause if not cured soon, it is very difficult to cure it 
at all. It is almost impossible to cure it when it 
gets hold of one who is in the daily habit of using 
intoxicating beverages. 

Eat but little, and that only what is easily digested. Take a 
bath every day, and rub the hips, back and stomach with the 
hand. By no means omit the friction. 

Drink sarsaparilla tea every morning at breakfast. It would 
be a good plan to take a sitz-bath every day about half way be- 
tween breakfast and dinner. If you have no more convenient 
arrangement, fill a common wash tub full enough so that when 
you sit down in it, the water will cover your hips. Let the wat- 
er be cold. Do not warm it at all, not even enough to take the 
chill off. Sit down in the water and remain there from ten min- 
utes to half an hour as you feel able to bear it. 

Always wet your head with cold water before taking any kind 
of a water bath. 

In diabetes avoid all stimulating food and drinks. 

Hooping Cough. 

This is a disorder to have once and only once ; — 
very few pass through life without having it. It gen- 
erally comes in childhood, and commences like a com- 
mon cold accompanied with a general soreness of the 
flesh. This soreness usually continues three or four 
days, and while it continues the patient has a very 
Blight cough, or rather a short hacking, husky effort 
hardly strong enough to be called a cough. When 
this soreness begins to diminish, a convulsive cough 
a little like hiccough comes on. The hoop or whoop- 
ing commences between the fourteenth and twenty- 
first days. The fits 0/ whooping rsqur from two to 



148 Hooping Cough. 

six times in twenty-four hours. These whooping 
spells are usually most severe in the night after sleep- 
ing. In fatal cases of hooping cough, death usual- 
ly takes place between midnight and daylight. Any 
sudden surprise or excitement may bring on the 
whooping at any time. 

The violent stage of this disorder may continue 
a few weeks or a few months. The third stage or 
decline may continue from one month to one year, 
and in some cases even longer. Robust, healthy 
children will not suffer as much as those who are 
weakly. Very young children are more likely to 
die with hooping cough, than those who are older. 

If there is much feverish heat and difficulty of 
breathing, with but little discharge of phlegm after 
the fit, it must be regarded as a bad sign. If the 
hands and feet are warm and the skin moist, it is a 
good sign. If the bowels are open and the urine 
comes easily and in abundance it is favorable. Vom- 
iting, expectoration and a little bleeding from the 
nose after a fit of coughing, rather indicates that the 
patient is not in a dangerous condition. If vomiting 
takes place during a fit of coughing it will cleanse 
the stomach and greatly relieve the cough. Should 
the fit of coughing be very severe and fio vomiting, 
it would be well to give a little ipecac, just enough 
to cause the patient to vomit a little. 



Diptheria. 149 

Soak the feet in warm water every night. If the bowels arc not 
sufficiently open give castor oil. 

Make a strong decoction of the dried root of black cohosh and 
give the patient a little as occasion requires. 

Stewed onions eaten pretty freely for supper is said to be very 
good not only for hooping cough but also for a common cough. 

A syrup said to be excellent in relieving cough is 
made as follows : 

Stew }-£ a pint of sliced onions and 1 gill of sweet oil in a cover- 
ed dish. " Then strain and add a gill of good honey. Stir it well 
and cork it up in a bottle. Take a teaspoonful at night before 
going to bed. Take a teaspoonful any time when the cough is 
troxiblesome. A teaspoonful is a dose for a child three years old. 

Many of the popular patent medicines so highly 
recommended to cure cough will not do half as much 
good as this simple syrup. Any time when you are 
troubled with a common cough take a dose and it will 
relieve you. 

Great care is required in giving strong medicines 
to infants. In treating very young childrdren se- 
lect mild remedies. 

An embrocation may be made as follows : 

Mix together equal parts of olive oil and oil of amber. Then 
add one-eighth part as much oil of cloves as you have of the oth- 
er mixture. Rub some of this on the chest two or three time a 
day. The rubbing is of great service. Even where no embroca- 
tion is used it will do much good to rub the breast and the whole 
surface with the hands. 

If convulsions occur give a little ether. 
The following is simple and considered safe : 

Dissolve a scruple of salt of tartar in a gill of water. Then add 
10 grains of cochineal and sweeten with sugar or honey. Give an 
infant a few drops occasionally, say 2 or 3 times a day. 

The diet should be light. 

Diptheria. 

Whatever is good to use in case of common sore 
throat, will do some good in diptheria. 



150 Croup. Influenza. 

The tincture of black snake root diluted with about ten times 
its amount of water is »n excellent remedy to be used as a gargle. 
Gargle the throat every hour till the disease is stopped. Then 
use once or twice a day for a week or two. Take internally a few 
drops while using the gargle. 

The treatment further than as above should be 
about the same as in other cases of sore throat. 



Croup. 

This is an inflammation of the windpipe, and many 
suppose it affects only children. But under the 
name of "malignant sore throat," adults often have 
it. When a child has it the breathing is longer than 
usual, and is accompanied with a wheezing sound. 

Croup is a dangerous disease and therefore re- 
quires prompt attention. 

Wash the whole body and soak the feet if necessary in warm 
water for half an hour at a time. Also bathe the hands and arms 
with warm water. Frequently apply cold compresses to the 
throat. 

Many physicians reccommend an emetic, to be fol- 
lowed with a cathartic. 

To guard against croup, diptheria And other forms 
of sore throat, keep the feet, legs, hands and arms 
warm. Wash the feet often and wear boots or 
shoes that will keep them dry. Wet and dirty feet 
have caused many a pain in the throat. 

Influenza. 

This disease begins very much like a common cold 
only more severe. The nose is stopped up so the 
patient must open his mouth to breathe. There is 
a dull, heavy pain in the forehead and sides of the 



Erysipelas, i51 

head. The eyes feel heavy and the motion of the 
lids seems stiff. In a short rime there is a thin wa- 
tery discharge from the nose, and sometimes from the 
eyes, making the patient look as though he was cry- 
ing. Sneezing seems to be in order, with consider- 
able hoarseness, and a sense of roughness in the 
throat. There is some cough with a disagreeable 
feeling in the chest, and a difficulty of breathing. — 
In short, the patient feels as though he had caught 
a severe cold, only he feels weaker and the symp- 
toms are stronger than in a common cold. This dis- 
ease is almost always epidemic, affecting old and 
young, male and female. In some cases it is fatal, 
but not often. It affects the young more than older 
persons. 

Treat this disease the same as a common cold. Bathe the whole 
body and soak the feet in hot water. Drink warm drinks so as 
to promote perspiration. Sleep all yon can and eat but little till 
you are Avell again. If you go out, put on clothing enough to 
keep yourself rather warmer than usual. If the weather is cool 
or damp keep near the fire. 

Erysipelas. 

This disease was formerly called "St. Anthony's 
Fire," and some persons know it only by that name 
now. It is sometimes epidemic in prisons and hos- 
pitals, but it is seldom, if ever, epidemic excepting 
in crowded places. Dyspepsia is one of the greatest 
though not the only cause of Erysipelas. If the di- 
gestive organs do their work faithfully, 4i St. An- 
thony's Fire" will not be likely to burn much. — 
Probably in more than half the cases of this disease 



152 Erysipelas. 

indigestion or improper digestion is the cause. This 
being the case, you will see the necessity ot living 
on food easily digested. 

The disease begins with a coldness often amount- 
ing to a shivering coldness. These cold spells are 
followed by drowsiness and great confusion. Some- 
times this confusion amounts to actual delirium. 

In this disease there is redness and inflammation 
of the skin, which begins to show itself the second 
or third day of the fever. This is accompanied with 
considerable swelling and oppressive fulness. The 
point of attack may be on any point of the body, but 
the redness and inflammation more generally appears 
on the lace or back of the neck and gradually spreads 
over the scalp of the head. When it attacks the 
face, the eyelids often become so much swollen as to 
entirely close the eyes. Then blisters appear con- 
taining a yellowish watery fluid. 

When the head and face are much swollen, some means must 
be taken to promote an equal circulation of the blood. Perspira- 
tion is quite important. Give the patient, a foot and vapor bath, 
so as to produce a thorough sweat every day until the balance of 
the system is restored and the inflammation all drawn out of the 
head and face. Diaphoretic teas should be pretty freely taken. 
The patient bhould go to bed immediately after the bath, cover 
up warm and remain there at least half an hour. 

If the disease becomes obstinate and chronic, it will require 
persevering efforts to remove it. Whatever part of the body it 
may attack do not neglect the daily bath. Use some appropriate 
ointment or apply slippery elm to the inflamed part. The dis- 
ease is m.t dangerous unless it attacks the head and face violent- 
ly, in which case in addition to the above you should dip the ends 
of your ringers in cold water and gently' rub the inflamed part, 
taking care to rub downward excepting around the eyes. When 
the eyelids are badly swelled, gently rub them with 'the ends of 
the ffujjers, making the passes from the nose outward. 






Bronchitis. 



153 



Bronchitis. 

A general weakness of the system will often bring 
on this disease. Over-eating often brings on bron- 
chitis, In this disease there is often a troublesome 
cough which is sometimes dry, but oftener attended 
with a copious expectoration. If you catch a severe 
cold, and conclude to let it run till it gets well, with- 
out any remedy, it may run you into the bronchitis. 
Consumption sometimes commences in this way. 

I know of no medicine that will cure you, unless you call in na- 
ture to assist. For this purpose read aloud for a few minutes at 
a time every day, or what is still better, if you can get away into 
the woods where there is no danger of causing your neighbors to 
think you are insane, vociferate with earnestness for a few min- 
utes. Try to sing in a loud whisper. These efforts will usually 
do more good than many doses of medicine. 

Put one dram of nitric acid in two ounces of pure water. Shake 
it well, and take one drop on a little sugar just before breakfast, 
and repeat the dose just before going to bed at night. Remem- 
ber one small drop is enough. 

Use no strong drink of any kind. Eat no new bread nor any- 
thing else liable to ferment on the 6tomach. Mutton, veal, fowl, 
eggs, and the meat of wild game, such as squinels may be freely 
eaten for breakfast and dinner, but the supper should be light. 

Take a vapor bath once or twice a week. Then rub the whole 
surface with the hands, after which take equal parts of sweet oil 
and spearmint essence. Mix, and rub a little over the breast and 
throat. Rub it in well. 

In cold or changeable weather it is oest to wear woolen as that 
is the best guard against sudden changes of temperature of the 
body. 

If you can get a pair of hair mittens, have some one put them 
on and give you a good rubbing all over, after coming out of a 
vapor bath. 

Have your meals at regular hours. If you ha\e three meals a 
day on week days, you should have three meals on Sunday, and 
at the same hour' in the day. Eat enough to satisfy hunger, but 
not too much for supper. A neglect or failure to eat dinner for 
the sake of Sunday politeness may cause you many hours of suf- 
fering. 

Mix together equal parts of olive oil, spearmint oil and tincture 
of arnica. With the ends of you: lingers apply this to the throat 
and over the b'ngs, anu rub it in well once a week. This should 
be done in a warm room, just before going to bed. 

If the cough becomes very troublesome, you may take a small 
dose of laudanum. 

as 



154 Asthma. 

The bowels must be kept open, or all the medicine will do but 
little good. 

Asthma. 

The symptoms of asthma are so well known that 
I need not take up space in describing them. 

Persons who are subject to the asthma, usually 
know when a fit is coming on. The warnings of 
an approaching fit should receive prompt attention. 

Soak the feet in warm water, and endeavor to get up a perspi- 
ration, by drinking warm herb tea. By immediate attention a 
fit may frequently be avoided. As soon as you get your feet out 
of the bath, wipe them dry and put on good warm woolen stock- 
ings or socks, and commence walking about the room. Breathe 
slowly and, take long breaths. The great probability is that if 
this does no't keep off the lit entirely, it will at least make it less 
severe. 

If the fit has already commenced, pursue the same treatment, 
and if there is much pain in the breast apply hot flannels over the 
seat of the pain. This is not a disease that can be cured in a day, 
it will take weeks and months. It is of the utmost importance 
that the whole surface be kept clean. Wash the whole surface 
at least once a day in clean soft water. 

If the fit is attended with a sense of great suffocation, give a 
teaspoonful of the tincture of lobelia in a cup of warm water, and 
repeat the dose every hour till the symptoms are more favorable. 

I am giving quite a number of remedies so that 
you may select whichever will suit you best, or be 
most likely to be beneficial in your case. 

Make a strong decoction of equal parts of angelica, elecampane, 
and spikenard roots, and hoarhound tops. Sweeten with honey 
and add about one-fourth as much tincture of lobelia as there is 
of the mixture. Take a teaspoonful of this every few minutes till 
relieved, and then take a teaspoonful several times a day for a 
month or longer if thought best. 

Another simple remedy is, mix 1 ounce of castor oil with 4 
ounces of honey. Take a teaspoonful in the morning before break- 
fast, and at night before going to bed. 

Dissolve a little saltpeter in water, then take a piece of brown 
paper and wet it in thii solution. Let the paper thoroughly dry 
and then wet it with a little origanum oil. Then cut the paper 
into long strips convenient for use. At any time when you feel 
as though a fit of the asthma is coming on, burn a few of these 
(strips of paper, and hold them so that while burning you can in- 
hale the smoke. The best way to do this is to sit down in a chair, 
and then leaning forward light one end of the strip of paper and 



Small Pox, 155 

hold it under your nose in such a position that the smoke as it ri- 
ses can be inhaled. Breathe long- breaths during this time. Even 
after the fit has come on, great relief will be obtained by this in- 
halation. 

James Pury of Alden, Erie county, N. Y., gave 
me the above recipe. Alden is my native town. — 
I was well acquainted witli Mr. Pury, as he lived for 
a long time within a few rods of my father's residence. 
Mr. Pury had long been severely troubled with asth- 
ma, and had tried many remedies without success. 
When he tried this it gave him more relief than any- 
thing else he had ever tried. The saltpetre without 
the origanum oil did but very little good. Mr. Pu- 
ry recommended this to all his friends and acquaint- 
ances who were suffering with asthma, and all who 
tried it pronounced it good. 

More than ten years ago I met a man in Erie, 
Pennsylvania, who said he was cured of asthma by 
using for tea common chestnut leaves steeped in wa- 
ter and well sweetened. Gather the fallen dry chest- 
nut leaves in autumn. Make a tea from them and 
drink it every morning for breakfast. 

No medicine will effect a permanent cure if you 
neglect daily bathing and friction. 

Small Pox. 

This dreadful disease commences with the usual 
symptoms of fever, only the drowsiness and languor 
are much greater than in common fever. This dis- 
order is usually caused by the communication of in- 



156 Small Pox. 

fectious matter. The small pox begins to appeal 
like ilea bites about the third or fourth day. These 
flea bites are usually first seen on the face, but some- 
times appear first on the arms or breast. If the 
progress of the eruption is slow, and the fever abates 
as soon as the pustules appear, it may be regarded 
as a favorable symptom. 

It the pustules are distinct with a red base, and 
filled with a thick whitish matter which afterwards 
becomes yellow, the disease is not dangerous, though 
even then great care is necessary. But if the color 
of the pustules is a livid brown, it is an unfavorable 
symptom. If the pustules are small and rather flat, 
with black specks in the middle, the symptom is by 
no means favorable. The confluent forms of small 
pox is the most dangerous. In this form of the dis- 
order the pustules run into each other. 

This disease should he considered and treated as a fever. In the 
early stages of the disease the patient will be hot, and should be 
free; 5 I tie cool air. The whole body should be ash- 

ed with cool or even with cold water. A cold bath will mode- 
rat* the symptoms and greatly lessen the danger. Frequent 
bathing in cold w ater at first will greatly diminish the number of 
pus I ules. It is quite important that thi cold bathing should not 
be neglected. 

The room in which a small pox patient is confined should be 
\ entilated and kept cool enough so that he will experience 
eeable degree of heat. Those havingthe care of the pa- 
id consult him often and see to it that the room is not 
allowed to get too warm for him. The patient should lie on a 
ad be covered with only a few clothes. He should ha^e 
a room by himself, and his attendant should see to it that all the 
clothing about him is changed at least as often as once a day. 

Make a tea of equal parts of catnip and saffron, have it warm 
and let the patient drink freely of it during the day, but never 
wake him in order to give him tea or medicine. Sleep is of the 
utmost importance. At night give him something to make him 
sxeep. 



Itch. 157 

Great care should be taken not to break the pustules. If the 
pustules are broken the scars Trill be deeper, and consequently 
the greater will be the disfiguration. The patient should not be 
violently purged. 

Some eminent physicians recommend that the chest be thor- 
oughly rubbed with croton oil as soon as the eruption begins to 
appear. The object of this is to cause the whole of the eruption 
to appear on the body so as to remove all danger of disfiguring 
the face with disagreeable scars. It is also claimed that by rub- 
bing the oil on the surface of the body, it prevents the disease 
from attacking the internal organs. The application of the cro- 
ton oil may be made to any part of the body, but it is preferable 
to apply it to the breast as that is not as likely to be disagreeable 
on account of the position in the bed. 

Some physicians say keep the room dark and lance the pus- 
tules with a needle, but I should hardly call that the best way. 

Itch. 

This disorder is much more disagreeable than dan- 
gerous. It is caused by infection or contact and 
usually makes its first appearance between the fin- 
gers and on the wrists, in the form of small, watery 
pimples. The itching is intolerable, and those who 
have it bear it only because they must or because 
they do not know how to get rid of it When these 
little watery blisters are broken, s6fes and scabs 
take their places, often spreading to all parts of the 
body. 

In real itch a small animal infests the skin, but 
" doctors disagree " as to whether this animal is the 
result of the disease, or whether the disease is caus- 
ed by the animal. The discovery that the itch was 
a living creature was made with the aid of the micro- 
scope in 1812 by M. Gales in the St. Louis Hospi- 
tal, Paris. It is said that this animal will live about 
four hours in clutr water. After many experi- 



158 Nervous Rheumatism, 

merits it is believed that sulphur is a safe and sure 
remedy. When sulphur is used to cure the itch, the 
the patient should be very careful and not take cold, 
and should wear more clothing than usual. 

An ointment may be made of equal parts of sulphur and lard 
or fresh butter. Put in some lemon essence to take away the 
disagreeable smell. It will not be necessary in many cases to 
annoint the whole surface, but when'it is, it should be done only 
in parts at a time, as it is dangerous to stop too many of the pores 
at the same time. 

An itch ointment is made as follows : 

Melt 1 ounce of Burgundy pitch and stir it well into 1 pound of 
fresh butter. Then remove from the fire and immediately put in 
2 ounces of spirits of turpentine. When it begins to cool a little 
put in 1 ounce of red precipitate, and stir until cold. 

This is not only a sure cure for the itch, but is 
excellent to cure pimples on any part of the body. 

If you keep clean you will not be likely *o be 
much troubled with the itch. I think if I should 
be so unlucky as to get this disorder, I should first 
try to cure it by washing the whole body every day 
with strong soap suds and immediately after wash 
with pure soft water. I have not much doubt about 
the power of this practice to cure. 

I would recommend any who have the itch or any 
eruption to discontinue the use of pork entirely, and 
not eat butter more than once a day and that in the 
morning. 

Nervous Rheumatism. 

This disorder is commonly known as " the fidg- 
ets." Some doctors tell us the fidgets are caused by 
too much rest, but that is hardly a correct explana- 



Scrofula, 159 

tion of the matter. It requires a gentle effort to 
hold the arm stretched out at full length from the 
body. Such steady and continued effort causes the 
fidgets. If fou doubt it, just stretch the arm out 
from the body and keep it in that position for a quar- 
ter of an hour without stirring, and you will be very 
apt to have a fit of the fidgets. These fits are often 
very distressing. 

To cure a fit of the fidgets, lie down on your back, keep the 
limbs immovable and rest quietly for half an hour unless you are 
cured sooner. To guard against nervous rheumatism, take prop- 
er exercise, keep clean, and do not remain for any length of time 
in one position, or do any business that requires such continual 
effort as mentioned above. 

Scrofula. 

This disease is sometimes called "King's Evil." 
I do not know the origin of the name " King's Evil," 
but presume it arose from the absurd notion once be- 
lieved by many, that if a king touched a person who 
was afflicted with scrofula, he would immediately be 
well. 

Hereditary taint is the usual cause of scrofula, bat 
it is sometimes brought on by any cause that im- 
pairs the general health. It sometimes follows a se- 
vere case of small pox, measles, or scarlet fever. — 
A child fed on weak, watery, half cooked vegetable 
food and stuffed with fat pork, will be almost sure 
to have scrofula sooner or later. Exposure to damp 
cold weather with insufficient clothing, is also a cause 
of scrofula. In short, scrofula, when not heredita- 



160 Scurvy. 

ry, is almost always produced by improper habits 
or a disordered state of the general health. 

When scrofula makes its appearance in the form of tumors and 
swellings, the patient should not eat very freely of vegetable food, 
but he may eat freely of good bread or biscuits. He may eat free- 
ly of baked potatoes, if he relishes them, once a day. He should 
not eat any fat meat of any kind, but may eat rather freely of 
lean boiled beef or mutton. 

External applications may be applied. Ulcers and swellings 
should be frequently washed with alkaline water. If the sores 
are open the water should be injected into them. After the sores 
are washed and well dried, put on a plaster of the black salve, a 
recipe for which you will find in another part of this book. Do 
not think that this or any other treatment will cure the patient 
in a day. It may take months to do it, but do not be discouraged, 
if you keep on, complete success will be the result, but there is 
still more to be done. 

I have been told that the common sponge burned to ashes and 
mixed with mutton tallow and applied two or three times a day 
is excellent. I have never tried it however, but the black salve I 
know to be good. 

Equal parts of Baberry bark and slippery elm well pulverized 
and made into a poultice is sometimes used with good success. — 
A little salt should be added. 

Pure air and plenty of light are quite essential. The patient 
should not neglect to bathe the whole body once a day. Once a 
week he should bathe in salt water. The rest of the time use 
pure soft water. 

Scr rvy. 

Land scurvy and sea scurvy are very much alike, 
and what is good for one is good for the other. A 
long coxitinued use of salted meat without fresh veg- 
etables causes scurvy, and despondency increases it. 
A patient having the scurvy will improve much fast- 
er if he can have cheerful company. 

Neglect of cleanliness is a prolific cause of scurvy. 
Living in cold, damp situations, and in dull, gloomy 
places with disagreeable companions helps to bring 
on this disease, and consequently the opposite of 
the&e will help to cure it. 



Oancer. 1 ( 

Pale, bloated complexion with spongy gums and 
offensive breath comes with the scurvy, the legs swell 
also and there are foul ulcers. Livid spots may be 
seen on the skin, while the urine is fetid and the 
stools extremely offensive. In the last stages of 
this disease the joints become stiff, and there is con- 
siderable bleeding from different parts of the body. 
If violent purging or dysentery ensues, the disease 
will be most likely to prove fatal. 

A cure cannot be effected unless the causes are avoided. As 
soon as you find the scurvy coming on, make haste to avoid the 
causes that bring it on. Do not exercise enough to get very tired, 
and be sure and not get into any strong current of air. 

In scurvy it is of the utmost importance to attend to the diet- 
Throw aside all salted meat and eat fresh bread and plenty of 
vegetables. Pickles, sour-krout and such things may be pretty 
freely used. Eat freely of ripe fruit, berries, lemons and oranges. 
The bowels must be kept open. If the patient suffers froin acute 
pain, let him take a Dover's powder. , 

Cancer. 

This dreadful disorder usually begins with a 
small hard tumor, but the cause is yet unknown, 
A great many theories and opinions have been ad- 
vanced but the real cause still remains a mystery. 
Very few persons under the age of forty have cancer. 
Cancer most commonly appears in the lips, arm pits 
or female breast, but may, and sometimes does come 
in other places. It not unfrequently comes in tJie 
liver or womb. Sometimes a cancer will come from 
the injury of a wart, moles, or any other injury. 
The attempt to remove, a birth mark may result in a 
cancer. 



162 Cancer. 

Cancers are often made worse by improper- treat- 
ment. When they first begin to come they are of- 
ten iritated by pressure which causes them to ex- 
tend and send out roots or limbs. These roots or 
limb3 are supposed to resemble the claws of a crab 
and hence the name, cancer. At first the color of 
the skin is red, but it changes to purple and then 
becomes a bluish color after which it turns black. 
There will be considerable heat and burning with 
gnawing and shooting pains. By this a cancer may 
be known from other humors. After awhile the skin 
begins to break away, and a thin acrid fluid come3 
out which destroys the neighboring parts which soon 
causes an ulcer very disagreeable to look at. The 
pain becomes even more intense^ than before, while 
the stench is intolerable. A hectic fever exhausts 
the strength, and tke appetite fails. 

Those who dress the cancer should use the utmost 
care and not get any of the discharge onto them- 
selves or on to the flesh of the patient. I wouM not 
advise the use ot the knife at all. Surgical operations 
are seldom if ever as good as some milder treatment. 
When a cancer first begins to make its appearance' 
means should be taken to retard its progress. If you 
commence in season the chances are in your favor. 
Prompt and proper treatment may keep it in check 
so far that it will never cause any very serious in- 
jury. 



Cancer* 1(53 

As soon as you find a cancer is coming attend to your general 
health, d? not bundle or press on the tumor and if you touch it 
at all touch it very carefully. Be particularly careful to guard it 
so that it will never receive any kind of a blow or wound. You 
should live on simple and pure but nourishing food. Let your 
work be light and pleasant. Never indulge in any excess of any 
kind. Avoid excitement and passion. Bathe the whole body 
frequently and rub well, but when you wipe around the cancer 
do so very carefully, and be particularly careful to do nothing to 
call the blood to that part of the body. It will not do to be ir- 
regular in any of your habits. Eat, and sleep at regular hours. 
In short do nothing that can injure your health. If you have 
any kind of a disease about you take the proper means to restore 
health. 

Sometimes a very simple and apparently absurd practice will 
do good when the more popular and perfectly scientific methods 
have failed. John C. Rogers of Alden Erie Co. N. Y. once told 
me that many cancers in their early stages had been removed by 
the following simple if not absurd practice: — 

Every morning when you first awake, and before you spit put 
your finger in your mouth and there wet it with the spittle or 
saliva. Then touch this to the cancer. Do this a few times till 
the cancer is quite wet with the saliva and let it dry on. 

Now I presume you may feel somewhat inclined 
to laugh at the above but I have some faith that it 
may sometimes do good. If you have a stys coming 
on the eye the above will stop it if applied the first 
morning after it is felt, and I see no reason why it 
may not be powerful enough to do some good on a 
cancer. 

Equal parts of chloride of Zinc and gold mixed with enough flour 
to form a paste is said to be very useful. Put this paste on and let 
it remain a few hours and then wash it off. 

After the cancer commences discharging poultices may be applied 
to remove the disagreeable odor. Scraped carrot roots are excel- 
lent for this. Yellow dock root has sometimes been used with 
advantage, also a poultice made of slippery elm bark. 

A paste made of chloride of Zinc and extract of blood root is 
good in the earlier stages and is often used after the cancer com- 
mences discharging. Most of the vegetable plasters in use for 
cancer are composed in part of some mineral substance. 

A strong tea made of yellow dock root drank every morning 
will be of some service if the sore is washed several times a day 
with the same kind of tea. 

Make a strong lye of hickory ashes and boil it down till it is 
about the consistency of strained honey. Apply this to the cancer 
and let it remain half an hour if it can ba borne, if not wash it off 



164 Dropsy. 

sooner. As soon as it is washed off apply a plaster of the black 
salve or some suitable ointment. This need not be applied often- 
er than once in two days, but the other treatment must not be 
neglected. 

Olive oil boiled down about one half and rubbed on to a cancer 
is said to be of great use. 

Boil some figs in new milk until they are tender. Mash them i 
wetland apply hot as a poultice, but a poultice of this kind 
should not remain on more than half an hour at a time and one 
application each day will be sufficient. The first application will 
most likely cause considerable pain but after that it will be more J 
likely to relieve the pain. After each application the sore should U 
be well washed and properly treated otherwise. 

Dropsy. 

Irregular li vino- and hard drinking ha ve':brought 
on many cases of this disease but these are by no 
means the only causes. It often follows fever or any 
other severe fits of sickness. Usually it begins with 
swelling of the feet and ankles along towards night 
and if the finger is pressed onto the swelled part it 
will leave a little pit. The swelling which at first 
was only noticed in the feet and ankles gradually 
ascends and when it reaches the stomach the breath- 
ing becomes quite difficult. The patient wants to 
drink a great deal while the discharge of urine is 
small. 

At length a slow wasting fever sets in accompan- 
ied with a troublesome cough. When this occurs 
in an aged person it is quite apt to prove fatal, but 
in a young person it may not carry him off if proper 
treatment is immediately resorted to. 

Before the swelling has ascended to the stomach the legs should 
be well rubbed downward with the hands or a flesh brush— the 
hand* are by far the best. Diuretic medicines should be given 
and the bowels kept open. When the swelling is in the stomach 



Ventillate Your Children's Booms, 165 

an expert surgeon may draw off the water if thought best but 
this should not be done unless other means fail. 

Drink freely of mint tea every few hours. Any of the common 
diuretic medicines will be of service and therefore some of them 
should be taken. Consult the best physician you can find as soon 
as you are aware you have the dropsy. 

Ventilate Your Children's Rooms. 

Most parents, before retiring, make it a duty to visit the sleep- 
ing rooms of their children. They do so in order to be satisfied 
that the lights are extinguished, and that no danger is threaten- 
ing their little ones. But if they leave the room with closed win- 
dows and doors, they shut in as'great an enemy as tire, although 
his ravwges may not be so readily detected. Poison is there, slow 
but deadly. Morning after morning do many little children wake 
weary, fretful and oppressed. ■' What can it mean ? what can it 
be •"' the mother cries. In despair she has recourse to medicine. 
The constitution becomes enfeebled, and the child grows worse. 
The cause, perhaps, is never traced to over-crowded bleeping 
rooms, without proper air; but it is nevertheless the right one. 
An intelligent mother, having acquainted herself with the princi- 
ples of ventilation, will not retire to her own room for the night 
without having provided a sufficiency of air for her children, in 
the same manner that she provides and regulai.es their night cov- 
ering, or any other requisite for refreshing slumber. 

Sometimes, by judiciously lowering a ."window, and at other 
timet* by leaving a door wide open, this end may he attained. In 
many houses the day and night nurseries communicate. When 
this is the case, the window of the further room .should he left 
open, and the door between the rooms likewise open. Even in 
severe weather, young children can bearthis arrangement, if thy 
are not exposed to a direct draught. 

Since I commenced writing this book I have seen 
the above article in several newspapers, but for the 
benefit of those who have not seen it and to preserve 
it, I have thought best to give it a place here Too 
many sleeping rooms are poorly ventilated. It is 
also important that older people breathe pure air. 

I may as well remark here while I am speaking of 
children, that whenever it becomes necessary to 
awake a child from sleep, it should be done as gent- 
ly as possible. It is sometimes very injurious and 
nov^r judicious to awaken a child or even an older 



166 Drowning, 

person with a loud noise or in an impetuous manner. 
Never carry a child suddenly from a dark room into 
one where there is a glaring light. 

If your child is restless and weary at night, try 
to find the cause, and if you find that it is because 
you crammed him with "goodies" for supper, or let 
him eat to heartily of anything, do not do it again. 
If it is because you have put him into too warm a 
bed, remove some of the clothes. If it is because 
you have pinned the clothes around him too tight, 
loosen them. Bathe him before putting him to bed. 
Never let him eat much in the evening. 

Children should not be required to learn anything 
as a task before they are seven years of age. But 
before that age they may be taught a great many 
useful lessons, without being forced to learn. 

Drowning. 

We are all liable to be called on at some time in 
life to aid in resuscitating a person who has been un- 
der the water till he is apparently dead. I have been 
called on more than once to assist in restoring per- 
sons nearly drowned. I shall not pretend to give 
the only method to be resorted to, and I am not sure 
that I shall give the best, but I will give the best I 
know of- All will agree that in a case like this 
prompt action is necessary, therefore I hope you will 
read this article now and remember it in order to be 
ready in case of necessity. 



Drowning, 167 

Handle the body as gently as possible; but loee no time. Send 
immediately for medical assistance, but be active while the mes- 
senger is gone. When a person has remained underwater for fif- 
teen minutes or more, he is suffocated for want of air. This stops 
the blood in the veins, and causes the face to appear swelled and 
of a livid purple color. Persons have sometimes been resuscita- 
ted after having remained under water for an hour or more, but 
this is very seldom the case. Indeed it is seldom a person is re- 
suscitated after being submerged half an hour. Usually if they 
have not been under water more than fifteen or twenty minutes, 
they can be brought to. 

If the body is somewhat warm and there is a little motion of 
the pupils of the eyes, it is favorable. As soon as the body can be 
taken from the water, it should be stripped and immediately rub- 
bed dry. Rub it with hot flannels. Put warm blankets around 
it and place it in a warm bed, and if possible in a warm room — 
If there is any froth around the nose or mouth, remove it. 

It is pretty generally believed that death ensues from the rush 
of water into the windpipe, but such is not the case. Want of 
air is the cause of death. In drowning very little or no water is 
Swallowed. The practice of hanging the body up by the heels to 
let the water run out is, therefore absurd. There is another very 
barbarous practice that I hope no one who reads this will ever re- 
sort to, because it never does any good and may do harm — I mean 
the pi actice of rolling^ the body on a barrel. Such an expedient 
is almost enough to kill a strong, healthy man who has not been 
suffocated. 

Whatever is done must be done quickly. As soon as the alarm 
is given that some one is under the water let search be made, but 
while the search is going on, some other party should be putting 
things in readiness. Convey the body immediately to the nearest 
house, and after stripping and rubbing as mentioned above, ap- 
ply warm bricks, bottles' filled with hot water, bags of hot sand, 
pieces of hot flannel, (fee, to the arm pits, soles of the feet and 
between the legs. If you can get a pair of dry, warm worsted 
socks put your hands into them and vigorously rub the body all 
over. As soon as a warm bath can be got in readiness put the 
body into it and rub it well for a few minutes. Then take it out 
and apply the remedies already mentioned. In carrying the body 
to the house or wherever you remove it to, and in short all the 
time, keep it very nearly in"a horizontal position, though it is best 
to have the head raised a very little. Be careful however and not 
raise the head enough to cause the chin to press on the windpipe, 
and thus prevent any action therein. 

It is of the utmost importance that the air of the room be as pure 
as possible, therefore if more persons are present than can work 
to advantage, let them remain out of doors or stay in another 
room. If any one proposes to rub the body with any kind of spir- 
its; you should forbid it at once. The rapid evaporation of spirits 
counteracts the good effects of the friction, by carrying off, instead 
of retaining the heat. 

As many persons as can work conveniently, should remain in 
the room and keep busy. When those who commenced work at 
first get tired, they should be relieved by fresh hands. While the 
rubbing and other work is being; done, efforts should be made to 



168 Drowning. 

restore the functions of the heart and lungs. To do this, force 
the air from a pair of bellows through one nostril, while the other 
nostril and the mouth are closed, but before doing this, draw up 
the tongue between the teeth in order that it may not press upon 
the opening of the windpipe, and cause the air to be forced into 
the stomach instead of into the lungs. Immediately before pump- 
ing the air into the lungs, press the ribs firmly down, and let them 
rise of themselves, or from the force of the air pumped into the 
lungs. After the air has been thus forced into the lungs, if the 
chest does not sink, gently press upon it, and thus cause an artifi- 
cial rising and falling of the chest as in natural breathing. Con- 
tinue this artificial breathing for some length of time, and imitate 
natural breathing as nearly as possible, but do not neglect the 
friction. 

Stimulating vapors should be frequently applied to the nose. — 
It is also recommended that warm injections, in which there is a 
little salt and mustard be thrown into the bowels. When the 
patient gets so he can swallow, let him have a little hot, stimu- 
lating drink, but never force anything into his stomach or give 
him an injection with the syringe until there are some signs of life. 
Give the body a slight agitation every five or ten minute.-. This 
will aid in clearing the mouth and throat of the frothy mucus 
that keeps coming up. 

During all this work watch closely for the first signs of return- 
ing animation, which may be cither sighing, gasping, slight puls- 
ations of the heart, or slight convulsive twitching of the limbs. 
Part or all of these symptoms of returning life may be noticed, 
but do not relax your work when these symptoms appear. There 
is work to be done yet. Continue the efforts if necessary for four 
or five hours longer. You may think when these symptoms ap- 
pear that all danger is past, but let me warn you that such a mis- 
take as that has in many cases proved fatal. A great many have 
died for lack of treatment after these first symptoms of life be- 
gan to appear. The treatment should notrbe stopped even for 
one minute ; and here let me say that as soon as one worker gets 
tired, a fresh hand should take his place. Do not plead that the 
patient is your particular friend and therefore you will continue 
to work over him as long as there is any hope of life. When you 
are exhausted, do not work to the exclusion of a fresh hand, for 
by so doing, you rob your patient of vitality in the shape of ani- 
mal magnetism that he would gain from some one that is fresh 
and ready to work. 

To encourage these favorable symptoms keep at work and as 
poon as the patient can swallow, "give him a teaspoonful of ginger 
tea, or some other warm stimulating drink. You will remember 
1 said the patient should be placed in a warm bed. .As soon as 
the other things mentioned are in readiness, he may be removed 
and placed on a mattras where the attendants can work over him 
more readily, but when he is nearly or quite out of clanger, he 
-kould be again placed in a warm bed where there is the greatest 
1 ranquilit y. If the patient is very young, or if a very weakly per- 
son, he should be placed in bed between two strong, healthy per- 
sons. 

If signs of life do not appear sooner, the remedies recommend- 
ed should be continued for at least twelve hours. I have heasd of 



Hanging or Strangulations, 169 

cases whore the first signs of life were noticed after mora than 
twelve hours work over the patient. Let me urge you not to give 
up all hope in less than twelve hours. No one "person should 
work over the patient for more than an hour at a time unless in 
cases of necessity where a fresh hand cannot be had to take hold 
of the work. TV hen a person gives up his place to a fresh hand, 
he should leave the room, and not return unless his services are 
required again, and he should not be required to work over the 
patient again, until he is well rested. 



Hanging or Strangulations. 

Should you ever chance to find a person who has 
hung himself, you will proceed at once to loosen the 
cord or whatever suspends the person. Then if the 
neck is not broken proceed the same as with a drown- 
ed person, only there will be no occasion for heating 
the body, though the rubbing is proper and should 
not be Omitted. If you can get some leeches apply 
two or three to each temple. 

Persons may be strangled or hung without any 
intention of committing suicide. As in case of drown- 
ing so also in case of strangulation, prompt action is 
necessary. Contrary to what occurs in natural death, 
the nostrils of a strangled person are distended 
the eye-balls project. The face of a st v "*j 

son is blacker, of a livid color. T v ° ^ 

, . , . *i(5 pressure of the 

rope around the neck stop pir ; * 

, , , .ill -*£ the circulation of the 

blood, causes the dark , . 

- . , , . . color m the face. The stop- 
ping or the bre-° . r 
, , , , .,cn being the immediate cause of 
death, isw 1 " < _ ., ° . 

-<y we should treat the patient the same 
as one w^ - , t , 

j&Q nas been under water too long. 



170 Drunkenness. 

Drunkenness. 

Whenever you find a person so far intoxicated as 
to appear to be dead, which is sometimes the case, 
you should proceed thus : 

Raise the head and loosen the clothes immediately. Rub the 
patient the same as in case of suffocation from remaining too long 
under water. If possible he should be placed in a large, well ven- 
tilated room. Place him in a horizontal position with his head a 
little to one side to favor vomiting. Tickle the back 6ide of his 
throat with a feather in order to excite vomiting ; but this may 
fail, in which case you should give him an emetic as soon as he 
can swallow. If the case is a very severe one give an injection of 
common salt. In case the vomiting is likely to prove too severe, 
or if nausea continues too long, give effervescing draughts, silch 
as soda or seidlitz water. 

If the feet and hands are warm, cold water may be freely ap- 
plied to the head by means of cloths; but if the feet and hands 
are cold, every means should be taken to restore warmth. 

There are undoubtedly many drunkards who have 
often resolved to drink no more, but when an oppor- 
tunity presents itself the temptation was too great to 
be resisted. Now, if anything can be found that 
will destroy the taste for intoxicating drinks, it wo'd 
be a blessing to make the discovery known to the 
world. There are nostrums extensively advertised, 
but I know of none better than those I shall give 
here. Do not think, however, that you can break 
off the vile habit, resume it again and again break 
away from it and so keep doing at your pleasure — 
you cannot, and the safest way is to refrain from vis- 
iting places where such liquor ioay be found. Keep 
away from temptation. If so-called friends ask you 
to drink, respectfully inform them that you have firm- 
ly resolved to 



Drunkenness. 171 

"Close your teeth and not undo them 
To suffer wet damnation to run through them. 

No matter how urgently they entreat you to drink 
"just this once," consent not — just one glass might 
work your ruin. If you do not take the first glass 
you are safe, but take the first glass and you are in 
danger. If you have long been accustomed to use 
intoxicating drinks to excess, you have a hard job be- 
fore you to break away from the demon of intemper- 
ance, but be firm and you may be free again. 

Make a tea of bayberry bark, and add a little cayenne pepper. 
Drink a swallow of this tea just before each meal and any time 
when your craving for strong drink comes on. Have plenty of 
good cool water where you can take a drink at any time you may 
feel thirsty. 

If the craving for liquor begins when you cannot get a swallow 
of the tea, rinse the mouth with cold water and drink as much as 
you want. If you quench your thirst with cold water, your crav- 
ings for whiskey and other intoxicating liquors will not be as 
great. If possible keep some of the above tea where you can get 
it. Follow this practice as long as may be necessary. 

A reformed drunkard gave me the following reci- 
pe and said that it had cured him and a number of 
his friends : 

Mix 6 grains of sulphate of iron, and 10 grains of magnesia in 
^ an ounce of peppermint essence; then add % of an ounce of 
tincture of capsicum. Take a few drops on sugar before each 
meal. A few drops should be taken whenever yo'u feel as though 
you wanted your accustomed dram. 

Avoid the use of alcohol as much as possible even as a medicine. 
Request your physician to prescribe something else if he knows 
of any other remedy that will do as well in your case. If you 
must use liquors in preparing medicines, then use pure alcohol 
instead of brandy or any of the preparations from alcohol. Also 
avoid as much as possible the use of wine. I am aware that many 
suppose that wine made from fruit does not contain any alcohol 
unless it has mixed with it some kind of spirits, but this is a mis- 
take. There is some alcohol in all kinds of wine. Let me there- 
fore warn you not to use it. 

If the patient has delirium tremens give him a good smart emet- 
ic, and after that a shower bath. Let him drink freely of beef 
tea. After the bath rub him well and put him to bed. He will 
probably sleep, which is just the thing required. 



172 Suffocation, 

Suffocation. 

Choking sometimes occurs from breathing certain 
gases, such as chlorine gas, hydrogen gas, carbonic 
acid gas, etc. Carbonic acid gas is probably the 
most common cause of suffocation. It is frequently 
found in rooms where charcoal has been burned, but 
that is by no means the only place to guard against 
it As it is heayier than the common air it settles 
to the bottom of wells, hence the necessity of being 
careful about going down into a deep well. Never 
descend a deep well till you have lowered a lighted 
candle or lamp, and if it will not burn you must not 
go down till you have cleansed the well of gas. — 
This gas is also often found in large vats and in any 
such places that have stood empty for some time. — 
This gas has no smell, and when pure its deleteri- 
ous effects are almost instantly felt 

Hydrogen gas is also destitute of smell when it is 
pure. It is most frequently met with in underground 
mines, but its effects are not so rapid as carbonic ac- 
id gas. Hydrogen gas makes a person feel sleepy, 
but the stupor induced is rather of a pleasing kind. 

When a great number of persons are closely shut 
up in a tight room, deleterious effects sometimes fol- 
low. Breathing the air without getting a fresh sup- 
ply, increases the carbonic acid gas and thus the bad 
effects «re produced- 

Headache, confusion of vision, and ringing in the 



Intense Gold. 173 

ears, are among the symptoms of breathing these 
gases. As a general thing the face will appear very 
pale while convulsions may ensue if the case is a se- 
vere one. 

In the first place remove the patient into the open air and strip 
off all his clothing. Place him on his back with his head slight- 
ly elevated, and commence rubbing him and inflating his lungs 
as in case of drowning. The colder the air the better. Even in 
winter take the patient out of doors in the open air. 

As soon as the patient can swallow, give him lemonade or vin- 
egar and water. Bathe the face with vinegar and 6ponge the 
whole body with vinegar and water, but do not neglect the rub- 
bing. Hold some strong smelling stimulant under nis nose. 

It necessary apply mustard poultices to the soles of the feet. — 
When the symptoms of recovery have unmistakably made their 
appearance, the patient may be placed in a warm bed, but it 
should be in a well ventillated room. Give him then hot stimu- 
lating drink, but only a little at a time. Red pepper tea would 
be excellent. 

Intense Cold. 

I am told that exposure to intense cold brings on 
a desire to sleep. This desire is almost or quite ir- 
resistible, but if yielded to is quite likely to result 
in the sleep of death. This desire to sleep arises 
from the slow chilling or freezing of the blood. 

The further gone the patient is, the more care it 
will be necessary to use in restoring him. You 
should endeavor to bring back the natural heat of 
the body, but unless you are careful you may kill 
the patient in the attempt. Therefore make no sud- 
den application of artificial heat. The heat should 
be very gradually and carefully applied. If this is 
done nothing serious will be likely to happen. 

In the first place commence rubbing the body with snow or very 
cold water. Then rub with water a very little warmed. Then 
gradually increase the heat of the water until it is about as warm 



174 Pokon. 

as the natural heat of the body. If the patient does not breathe, 
inflate the lungs as directed in suffocation by drowning. 

When all this has been done and the body seems nearly or quite 
up to its natural heat, place the patient on a bed in a comforta- 
bly warm room, and continue rubbing for some time. It will be 
best to have several persons rubbing at the same time. It will 
do some good to rub with a flesh brush, but it will be much bet- 
ter to have the patient rubbed with the warm hand. Whoever 
rubs should warm his hands well before commencing the opera- 
tion. 

Poison. 

Under this head I wish to give some information 
that every man woman and child should know some- 
thing about. If by accident or otherwise we, or any 
of our friends, chance to swallow a dose of poison, 
prompt treatment must be administered. 

Most poisons when taken in sufficient quantity, 
either prove speedily fatal or cause derangements 
nearly or quite beyond the power of medicine to cure. 
Unless we know something of the nature of the pois- 
on swallowed, we cannot know exactly what to do, 
therefore it is important that we learn something 
about the different poisons and their effects on the 
human system. 

If you keep poison of any kind, I would advise 
you to put it away in some safe place where no one 
but yourself can have access, and as another guard of 
safety have the word "poison" written or printed 
in plain letters and pasted on every bottle or pack- 
age containing poison. Never neglect this. 

Poisons producing mortification, destroy the lining 
membrane of the stomach and bowels about the same 



Poison, 175 

as caustic or hot iron would destroy the skin. If 
the poison is sufficiently strong to injure the other 
coat of the stomach, mortification ensues and death 
soon follows. 

It sometimes happens that poison gets into food 
when no one knows that any poison is in the house. 
Accidents of this kind need very prompt attention. 
If a person in usually good health is suddenly taken 
sick after eating, it is well to inquire ' k is he poison- 
ed ? " It may be also that some poison has in some 
way got into his drink. If there is cramp in the 
stomach with violent pain, and nausea followed by 
vomiting, it is quite likely the patient has been pois- 
oned. Sometimes after being poisoned the patient 
willl be seized with a sense of convulsive twi chings 
and a sense of suffocation, or he may feel a giddi- 
ness or ryausual sleepiness. 

As soon as you have reasofc to think a person has been poison- 
ed, you should immediately send for medical assistance, but in 
the mean time you should know what to do and do it if possible. 
If there is any doubt about what kind of poison the patient has 
swallowed, you should save all the food, cups, glasses, etc., used 
by the patient just before being taken ill. If the patient vomits, 
save whatever he vomits up to be examined by the physician 
when he arrives. 

If it is not possible to tell immediately the kind 

of poison swallowed^ the following general rule may 

be adopted : 

If the poiion causes sleepiness or raving, give an emetic. Sho'd 
it cause vomiting or purging, or pain in the stomach and bowels, 
give milk, butter, warm water or oil. If there is no inflamma- 
tion about the throat, tickle it with a feather to excite vomiting 
immediately. 

The quickest emetic known, probably, Is made of salt, ground 



176 Poison. 

Wftistard and warm water. Stir a heaping tablespoonful of fine 

:j- »r three minutes, give another dole on- 

ly half as large. Alter vomiting put the white of an egg into a 
cup of tea, coffee, or milk, or if you have neither put the egg in- 
to a cup of water and let the patient drink it. Please remember 
how this emetic is made, so that you may be ready at any time 
to order it when occasion requires. 

I consider it useless in a book like this to take up 
each poison separately and tell ail there is known 
about it. The following will be found such inform- 
ation as will be most likely to be of immediate use 
in cases of poisoning : 

When poisoned with oxalic acid, sulphuric acid (oil of vitriol), 
nitric acid Caqua fortis), and hydrochloric acicl, the symptoms are 
acute pain in the throat, stomach and bowels, with an acrid taste 
and frequent vomiting together with copious stools more or less 
bloody, and sometimes difficulty of breathing. The pulse is ir- 
regular, and, while the thirst is excessive, urinking increases the 
pain. Let the patient drink water in which considerable chalk 
has been mixed; or soap and chalk in water. The patient must 
vomit pretty freely or death will soon ensue. After the poison is 

fot rid of, give a little slippery elm tea and be very careful about 
iet, eating only very little solid food for some time. 

When poisoning is caused by alkalies there is great heat in the 
throat, and vomiting of bloody matter which effervesces if mixed 
with acids. To neutralize these poisons, give the patient vinegar 
and other vegetable acids. 

Among the symptoms from taking verdigris, lunar caustic and 
corrosive sublimate, will be noticed the following: The tongue 
becomes dry and parched, while if there is not severe vomiting 
there will be fruitless efforts to vomit. There will be frequent 
black stools which will usually be bloody. The pulse will be 
quick and the breathing difficult, while the headache is intense. 
Mix the white of eggs with water and give one every two minutes. 
The patient should drink milk, gum-water, flax seed tea, or clear 
water as hot as it can be borne. 

If th ; poison swallowed is lunar caustic, dissolve a tablespoon- 
ful of common salt in a pint of water and have the patient take 
a swallow as often as once in two minutes. The object of this is 
to decompose the poison, and when this is done give mucilaginous 
drinks. 

I might extend information on this subject still 
further, but do not think it advisable in a work of 
this character. 



Dislocated Limbs. Broken Bones. 177 

Dislocated Limbs. 

As it is easier to manage a limb put out of joint 
immediately after the accident, I consider I shall be 
doing a service to give some information on the sub- 
ject. There should be prompt action, as it is much 
easier to put the limb in its proper place before in- 
flammation and swelling take place. If you are in 
doubt whether or not the limb is really out of joint, 
compare it with the well joint on the opposite side. 
If it is just like that or if it can be moved in the usu- 
al way, it is not out of joint. If it is out of joint 
there will be a lengthening or shortening of the limb, 
and it will seem to be incapable of motion. 

If it is found to be out of joint pull it forcibly, and gradually 
increase the extending force till the joint can be made right — 
While one person is pulling, let another raise the head of the bone 
over the edge of the cavity and put it in its proper place. 

Broken Bones. 

Should you ever chance to find a person lying 
speechless on the ground, carefully search and ascer- 
tain whether or not any bones are broken. If you 
make a sudden and careless attempt to raise him, the 
injury may be greatly increased. 

Should a careful search convince you that a bone has been bro- 
ken, proceed with great care. If his leg or his thigh is broken, 
make no attempt to raise him till you get a board. Then care- 
fully place him on that and let two or four men carry him to his 
bed. Conveyed in this way he will not suffer half as much pain 
as if conveyed in a carriage. 

Should it prove that the arm is broken in the upper part, place 
it in a sling with the palm of the hand turned towards the body. 
If the head is not injured he will probably revive soon, but if the 
head has received a very serious injury he will most likely remain 
senseless. In such a case more than usual care in the removal is 
necessary, but lose no time sending for an experienced surgeon. 



178 Ear-Aohe. Sore Byes. 

If you receive a severe blow or fall on the side which causes 
considerable pain and renders breathing very difficult, the great 

{>robability is that one or more of the ribs are broken. A case 
ike this demands great care and absolute rest. An attempt to 
be out of doors or attending to your regular business may cost 
you much pain or even your life. 

Ear- Ache. 

This troublesome ache is sometimes caused by in- 
digestion. When this is the case put a little cotton 
in your ear and treat yourself as recommended for 
dyspepsia. If it arises from cutting the hair too 
short in cold weather, proper caution in this regard 
will be the remedy. If you are subject to the ear- 
ache, attention to the general health is the shortest 
and best way to cure it. 

If the disease becomes chronic and ulceration takes 
place, there will be almost a constant discharge of 
disagreeable matter. The best thing in such a case 
is to keep the ear clean with frequent injections of 
bloood-warm water slightly impregnated with castile 
soap. Further than this no local application will 
be needed unless a drop or two of some good lini- 
ment. 

Sore Eyes. 

I do not wish to give a great many recipes on this 
subject, but I will say that as I have myself been 
troubled with weak eyes, I am prepared to give some 
information that may be useful to those whose eyes 
are perfectly good. 

I do not intend to make this book an advertise- 



Sore Eye?. 179 

pent for nostrums bill 11 1 : alve p y 

good that I think it is my duty to recommend it to 
every cne who has sore eyes. Pettifs Eye Salve 
is decidedly the best thing for sore eyes of any kind 
that I ever saw or knew anything about. If read- 
ing this induces any one to buy a box of it, I know 
he will thank me for mentioning it. It is sold by 
nearly all druggists, and full directions accompany 
each box. I have no interest in recommending it 
only to make this book useful by giving such inform- 
ation as will be of service to every one who buys it. 

I could give a score of good and genuine recipes 
for making eye water and eye salve, but it is useless 
as this salve is cheap and sure and is all you need in 
this line. I have known hundreds of persons to use 
it and never knew a case where it failed to do good. 

Shaving the face sometimes causes the eyes to be- 
come sore and inflamed. I have been so affected my- 
self, but a few applications of Pettit's Eye Salve 
make them all right. 

To every one I would say do not read or do any- 
thing by twilight or any dim light that requires very 
close looking. Do not look directly at any dazzling 
light. It' you have to sleep where the moon shines 
into your face, or at any time when it is too light, 
place a silk handkerchief over the eyes so as to ex- 
clude the light In this way I have slept in the 
day time almost as well as in the night. 



180 Drinks for the Sick. 

ifl.^^ Water 

Toast nit' bread thoroughly but do uui burn it. Before pour- 
ing in she boiling water put in a little lemon peel or orange peel 
with the toasted bread. 

This makes one of the best drinks for the sick, 
and may be freely used in fevers. 

Slippery Elm Tea. 

In fevers, and in fact almost all diseases, a demul- 
cent is useful. Slippery Elm tea is one of the best 
demulcents ever used. 

Take a sufficient quantity of the bark either pulverized or cut up 
into small pieces. Put it into a suitable disband pour boiling wa- 
ter on to it. Let it stand awhile and then strain it. If it is not 
sufficiently nutritious., increase the quantity ofbarkandadd a lit- 
tle sugar. It may be made still more pleasant by flavoring with 
cinnamon or something else pleasant to take. 

Common tea is too stimulating and should not be 
used in sickness. Instead of common tea use sage, 
catnip or mint tea. These teas when taken hot are 
more sudorific than diuretic ; but when taken cold 
are more diuretic than sudorific, though they possess 
these qualities to some extent in either case. 

When cooling drinks are needed after perspiration 
is established, weak lemonade is good, also cream of 
tartar water and orange water. 

Barley Water. 

This drink is made as follows : 

Take an ounce of pearl barley and with cold water washout all 
the dust. Then cover it vith boiling water and let it stand for 
ten or fifteen minutes. Then pour off this water and throw it 
away. Then pour on one quart of water and boil it down to one 
pint, after which it may be strained and properly seasoned. If 
more nutriment is required, put in a little licorice root before boil- 
ing the water down. Sliced figs and bruised raisins may also be 
added to increase the nutriment. 



Wintering Bee*. 181 

Another very plea^an* drink is sometimes made by cutting two 
or three tart apples into slices and then pouring on boiling water. 
Ouly a little or considerable water may be poured on to suit. It 
may be sweetened if thought best. 

Lemon Tea. 

Put the peelings of one large lemon into a pitcher, and add a 
quart of water. This will probably be sufficiently strong, but if 
not, when it is cold a little lemon juice may be added. Sweeten 
it with refined sugar. 

Flax-Seed Tea. 

Pour a pint of boiling water on to an ounce of the seed. It will 
be still better to use the same amount of water on an ounce of 
flax-seed and half an ounce of licorice root. 

Buttermilk is an excellent drink to be used in fevers when some- 
thing cooling is required. 

Indian meal gruel is sometimes used but if used in fevers it 
should be very thin. Better not use it at all in fevers, it is too 
heating. 

Beef Tea. 

Take half a pound of good juicy beefsteak. It should be weighed 
after the skin and fat have been removed. Put it into one quart 
of water and set it on a stove in which there is but little fire, so 
that it may heat very slowly. Keep up a gentle heat for two or 
three hours, but do not let it simmer. Stir it occasionally. Then 
increase the heat and let it boil gently for about fifteen minutes, 
but before it commences boiling add a little salt. If any skum 
arises on it at first, it should be removed. After boiling, strain it. 

I might give many more recipes similar to these, 
but I think it will not be necessary to do so. Of 
coarse such things are to be used with discretion. 

Wintering Bees. 

Different methods are practiced in wintering bees. It is neces- 
sary to protect them especially from two things — from being fro- 
zen and from being starved. The latter happens when they col- 
lect together in the coldest weather, and the comb becomes cov- 
ered with fro6t and ice, the moisture from the bodies and from the 
air being there deposited and frozen, excluding them from the 
honey. The entrance to the hive is liable to be stopped with ice, 
and the bees thus suffocated. The bee never passes into the tor- 
pid state in winter like some other insects ; it perishes at a degree 
of cold low enough to freeze it. As in the case of other kinds of 
farm stock, it requires less food when kept warm and comfort- 
able. If the hives are to be carried into a house or cellar, the 
place for them should be cool, dry and dark. The best method is 
to house them, unless sufficient protection can be given them on 



182 Wintering Bees, 

the stands. The Russian r '^ A Polish K ™ 1 ?rs who manage 

bees as extensively and suct^muh s as un\, winter iiu'ir hives on 
the stands ; but they make tin ir hives of inch and a half plank, 
and wind the upper part with twisted ropes of straw and cord- 
age to increase the protection against the extremes of heat and 
cold. If left on the stands, hives made of common boards need 
additional covering ; the entrance should also be narrowed so as 
to leave only space enough for a single bee to pass. This must 
not be allowed to become stopped with frost and ice, dead beeg 
and filth. Light snow may cover the hive without danger. The 
practice of bee-keepers is about equally divided between these 
two modes of wintering. The success of out-door wintering would 
be greatly increased by making better hives, and by exercising 
more care in protecting them from severe cold, and from changes 
of temperature. It is easier and preferable when the number of 
hives is very large, and there is no danger of theft, to manage 
them out doors. With a small number it may be otherwise.— 
New Amer. Cyclopedia. 

I have selected the above, in order to make this 
book useful to all classes, and what has just been 
given may suit some one better than anything else. 
Sometime you may wish to to get a little honey from 
the hive and not destroy the swarm. Do it in this 
way : 

Commence your work early in the morning of a day that you 
have every reason to think will be calm, sunny and pleasant. In 
the first place, set a table only a few feet from the hive, and cov- 
er it with a thick linen cloth. For a common sized hive, take 
about one sixth part of an ounce of chloroform, or a little more 
will do no harm. If it is a very large hive you will want one 
fourth of an ounce or perhaps more — you must proportion to the 
size of the hive and number of bees. Put the chloroform on a 
shallow plate and set it on the table. To prevent the bees from 
coming in immediate contact with the chloroform, cover the plate 
with wire gauze. Then take the hive from its place on the stand and 
set it on the table, so the plate will be in the center. This must 
be done cautiously but quickly. Now cover the hive closely with 
cloths, and let it alone for about twenty minutes. In that time 
the chloroform will have put all the bees to sleep, and they will 
be found in a helpless and harmless condition on the table. You 
can then take out what honey you want, and replace the hive in 
its old place exactly where you took it from. When the bees re- 
cover from the effects of the chloroform they will return to the 
hive. 

It is pretty generally known that the effect of being stung by a 
bee is more severe than the effect of a wasp sting. The reason 
of this is that the sting of a bee is barbed at the end and conse- 
quently left in the flesh. The sting of a wasp is pointed and as it 



Buckwheat. 183 

is not left in the wound a wasp can st in 2: again. As the bee leaves 
the sting in the wound it cannot sting the second time. 

If you are ever stung by a h£e you should either pull the sting 
out yourself, or have some one else do it. This should be done 
immediately because the longer it is left, the farther it will work 
its way into the flesh, and the more of the poison it discharges 
into the wound. 

The sting being hollow, the poison flows through it into the 
flesh, and this is what causes the pain and inflammation. The 
sting should be pulled out, carefully and with a steady hand in 
order that it may not be broken in the operation, for if any of it 
is left, it wil continue to cause pain and inflammation for some 
time. As soon as the sting is pulled out, if the wound is in a 
place that you can get at, suck it to prevent further pain and in- 
flammation. If you can get some aqua ammonia, apply a few 
drops immediately after sucking the wound. On many persons 
the sting of a bee or wasp produces no effect except the pain, 
which lasts only a minute or two. If you belong to that class 
now, you may belong to the other class sometime, for sometimes 
a sting does not affect a person, and by another year it will affect 
him violently, therefore it is well for you to remember what I 
have said. Sweet oil, tobacco, and other things have been recom- 
mended for a sting, but the remedy I have already given is the 
best I know of. Sweet oil and tobacco are not half as good as 
aqua ammonia. Bees or wasps are more apt to sting a person 
who is sweaty than one who is not, therefore when you wish to 
go among bees you will do well to govern yourself accordingly. 

Harvesting Buck-wheat. 

The excellence of buckwheat flour depends chiefly on the man- 
agement of the grain between the time of ripening and grinding. 
The common way of treating buckwheat effectually prevents 
making good flour, it being allowed to remain in the swath for 
several weeks, when it should never be suffered to lie longer than 
a day or two, and it is decidedly better for the grain to rake it, 
and set it on end as fast as it is cradled. Much less grain will be 
wasted by shelling out ; the straw will cure and dry out sooner, 
and make better fodder ; the crop will be ready for threshing and 
housing in less time ; and the grain will yield a much better 
quality of flour. It is especially injurious to the grain to be ex- 
posed to storms before it is set up, for dirt is spattered all over 
the grain by the falling of large rain drops. Wetting and drying 
the grain several times destroys the "life" of the flour. It will 
never be so white, nor make so good cakes, but will be sticky and 
the cakes clammy, like the flour of sprouted wheat.— American 
Agriculturist. 

Buckwheat Flour. 

A lady of culture, refinement and unusual powers of observa- 
tion and comparison, became a widow. Reduced from affluence 
to poverty, with a large family of small children dependaut on 
her labor for daily food, she made a variety of experiments to as- 
certain what articles could be purchased for the least money, and 
would at the same time "go the farthest," by keeping her child- 



184 How to Out and Trim Pork. 

ren the longest from crying for something to eat. She soon dis- 
covered that when they ate buckwheat cakes and molasses, they 
were quiet for a longer time than after eating any other kind of 
food. 

A distinguished judge of the United States court observed that 
when he took buckwheat cakes for breakfast, he could sit on the 
bench the whole day without being uncomfortably hungry ; if the 
cakes were omitted, he felt obliged to take a lunch about noon. 
Buckwheat cakes are a universal favorite at the winter breakfast 
table ; and scientific analysis has shown that they abound in the 
heat forming principles ; hence nature takes away our appetite 
for them in summer. — HalV s Journal of Health. 

To Find Water. 

A gentleman related his experience in this matter. An Irish- 
man in his employment, in order to ascertain where he ought to 
dig to obtain water soonest, got a stone and buried it over -night 
in the ground next to the hard pan. In the morning he found it 
quite moist, but not sufficiently so to suit his fancy. Next night 
he tried it in another spot, and it was found very wet on the fol- 
lowing morning. Said Patrick, "you will find water not many 
feet deep, and plenty of it." Sure enough, in a few days digging, 
Patrick confirmed his prediction, notwithstanding the jeers of the 
workmen, finding a vein that filled the well to overflowing, and 
rendering it exceedingly difficult to bail out the water so as to 
stone it. The philosophy of the operation seems to be that as the 
great evaporation takes place from the surface of the earth during 
the night, water rises up from the depths below to supply the 
loss and accumulates in the vicinity of the stone, often making 
quite a puddle. 

How to cut and trim Pork. 

The following directions, says the|Baltimore Sun, mny be found 
useful at the killing season, to such of our readers as are able to 
H go the whole hog :" 

Have the hog laid on his back on a stout table. Clean the car- 
cass of the leaf fat. Take off the feet at the ankle joints. Cut 
the head off close to the shoulders, separating the jowl from the 
skull, and open the skull lengthwise on the under side; so as to 
remove the brains fully. Remove the backbone in its whole 
length, and with a sharp knife cut off the skin — then the fat, leav- 
ing only about one-half an inch of fat on the spinal column. The 
middlings or sides are now cut from between the quarters, leav- 
ing the shoulders square, and the ham pointed, or it may be round- 
ed to suit your fancy. The ribs are next removed, partially or 
entirely from the sides. The trimmings or fat from the hams, and 
flabby part of the sides, are rendered up with the backbone strips 
for lard. The saussage meat is cut off from the leaf fat and ribs ; 
and other lean pieces are used for the same purpose. The thick 
part of the back bone, that lies between the shoulders, is called 
the chine ; it is cut from the tapering, boney end, and the latter 
part called the backbone, by way of distinction. The backbone 
should be used while fresh— the chine is better after being smoked. 



Warte on Cattle. 186 



Toads. 



toeauhs noted for Llieir beauty, l>hey are, nevertheless, pery useful 
in destroying insects, particularly those that fly in the night. — 
Toads feed almost, exclusively on insects, and the amount of good 
they do is immense. If we could always reconcile ourselves to 
the old adage, '* Handsome is that handsome does," and conquer 
our prejudices, wc should consider the toad as a true friend. A ' 
young lady once told us that she "perfectly doated on aligators." 
It would be much more sensible to fix her young affections on 
toad s . — Ploughman . 

I give the above a place here because I consider 
the advice good and much needed. Toads may be 
ranked among the gardener's best friends. Do not 
molest them in any way. If you meet with a toad 
in your walks convey him carefully to your garden, 
where he will be of some service to you. They 
will not hurt you, but unless you handle them care- 
fully you will hurt them. 
Fattening Calves. 

A sensible practical farmer told us the other day that he had 
often noticed that calves would thrive better on milk that was 
not rich in butter, than on what was commonly called very rich 
milk. That is a fact in accordance with what we recently sta- 
ted, that the nutritive elements of milk reside chiefly in the cas- 
ine. If you have a cow that gives particularly rich milk and one 
that gives a quality poorer in butter, it is better in every way, 
to feed the calf on the milk of the latter. The calf will thrive 
better, and you'll get more hutter from the milk of the first 
cow. — Ploughman. 

Not long since I remarked in the hearing of a farm- 
er that I was writing a recipe book, and he handed 
me the above which he said was really good. 
Warts on Cattle. 

A subscriber says that his cow has warts upon her bag and teats 
" long and slender," and asks how he can cure them. The warts 
can be readily removed with caustic, lunar or potash. Five cents' 
worth of either lunar caustic or potash will suffice. Keep the 
caustic in a vial, take a stick of it, wet the end with water or 
spittle and rub it on the warts. Two or three applications will 



186 Care of Sheep, 

suffice. Be very careful with the caustic of potash or it will eat 
too deep and make a sore. We took a large wart from the leg of 
a valuable horse by two applications of potash, and it has not re- 
turned. — iV. H. Farmer. 

The same farmer who gave me the previous recipe 
also gave me this, saying he doubted not some one 
would thank me for publishing it. A few years ago 
I met a man selling recipes to remove warts from cat- 
tle. As he charged five dollars for the recipe I did 
not buy it. He kept a sample in a small vial, an4 
a farmer who bought the recipe told me if I knew 
where to buy some potash there would be no need 
of my buying the recipe. This leads me to think 
that this is the same thing that the traveling agent 
charged five dollars for. 

Cautions for those Having Sheep. 

We copy the following excellent suggestions 
about sheep, from a circular issued py E. C. D. Mc- 
Kay, Esq., the general agent of the American Emi- 
grant Company. The company have already over 
10,000 sheep scattered among the farmers who hav$ 
purchased land of them, in flocks ranging from fifty 
to two hundred head : 

1. Keep sheep dry under foot with litter. This is even more 
necessry than roofing them. Never let them stand or lie in mud 
or snow. 

2. Take up lamb bucks early in Summer, and keep them up 
till December first following, when they may be turned out. 

3. Drop or take out the lowest bars as the sheep enter or leave 
a yard, thus saving broken limbs. 

4. Count everyday. 

5. Begin graining with the greatest care, and use the smallest 
quantity at first. 

6. If a ewe loses her lamb, milk daily for a few days, and mix 
a little alum with her salt. 



Blanketing Horses in Winter. 1 87 

7. Let no hogs eat with 6heep — by no means in the Spring. 

8. Give the lambs a little mill-feed in time of weaning. 

9. Never frighten sheep if possible to avoid it. 

10. Sow rye for weak ones in cold weather, if you can. 

11. Separate all weak, or thin, or sick, from those strong, in 
the Fall, and give them special care. 

12. If any sheep is hurt, catch it at once, and wash the wound, 
and if it is fly-time apply turpentine daily, and always wash with 
something healing. If a limb is broken, bind it with splinters, 
tightlv, loosening as the limb swells. 

13. fceep a number of good bells on the sheep. 

14. Don't let the sheep spoil wool with chaff or burrs. 

15. Cut tag-locks in the spring. 

16. For scours, give pulverized alum in wheat bran — prevent by 
taking great care in changing dry for green feed. 

17. If one is lame, examine the foot, examine between the 
hoof, pare the hoof if unsound, and apply tobacco, with blue vit- 
riol boiled in a little water. 

18. Shear at once any sheep commencing to shed its wool, un- 
less the weather is too severe, and save carefully the pelt of any 
sheep that dies. 

I insert the above here because I doubt not the 
hints will be of service to some one who would neg- 
lect what he already knows, were it not for being 
put in mind of it in some such way as this. 

Blanketing Horses in Winter. 

This is often wrongly done. When the horse be- 
comes heated by hard labor or long traveling, the 
blanket thrown on his back at once — the vapor 
steams up from his hot sides, becomes condensed and 
wets the blanket, and as the horse continues to cool, 
the cold and wet covering is of little use. A better 
way is to let the animal stand uncovered for a few 
minutes, a longer or shorter period, according to the 
circumstances, until cooled down to about the ordi- 
nary temperature, but not to any degree toward chil- 
linesss, then throw on a dry blanket. Farmers sho'd 
remember this fact 



186 To Make the Best Sausage. 

I have not much advice to offer about horses, but 
a u ,, .,* rds mali not be entirely out of place. Prob- 
ably every one knows that it is difficult to get horses 
out of a barn that is on fire. In such a case throw 
a blanket over their eyes, or throw the harness on 
and lead them out. 

Only a few days since I saw a man trying to make 
a balky horse pull, but without success. Another 
man came along and said " If you want that horse 
to pull, put some dirt in his mouth !" The owner 
then dug up a little of the fresh earth, and put into 
the horse's mouth. The result was that the horse 
started along and pulled well. 

While I am speaking of horses, I may as well add 
the following from a paper that contains many good 
things : 
Bed Your Stables. 

A horse will get tired standing and treading on a hard floor ;— 
so will a cow, a sheep, a man. A soft bed feels easy, and gives 
rest. And yet we neglect the bedding of our stables to a great 
extent. Injured limbs and other ailments, especially of the hoof, 
are the result often of a neglect here, as has been clearly enough 
shown, and as any man can clearly enough see, if he gives the 
subject a moment's thought. Bed with straw, which is plenty, 
or sawdust, or tan bark, or shavings. The drier these materials 
are the better. Every day remove the moistened bedding and re- 
place it with new. Such a floor, well bedded, adds greatly to the 
warmth of a stable, and thus becomes a fodder saver. The small 
holes and crevices in a floor with a good bedding upon them, will 
let little or no cold through, and will drain the stable. Rather 
have a ground floor than hard, naked plank.— Mural World. 

To make the best Sausage. 

Thirty pounds of chopped meat, eight oz. salt, two and one-half 
ounces pepper, two teacups of sage, and one and a half do. of 
sweet marjoram. Pass the two last through a fine seive. If you 
prefer it, thyme and summer savory may be substituted for the 
latter. 



Dye Stains. 189 

One kind of Bologna sausages are made of equal parts of bacon 
beef, veal, pork and beef suet, seasoned to suit. You can have 
the beef, veal, and pork as fat or as lean as you please. 

Sausages may be smoked the same as hams. 

Let me advise you never to use any sausages un- 
less you know who made them, for of all things that 
are adulterated, the most offensive is the adulterated 
sausage. It is a fact that cannot be reasonably doubt- 
ed that many sausages are composed in part of horse, 
hog and dog, together with diseased animals and 
many odds and ends by no means pleasant to think 
of, especially when we think we have been hiding 
them in our stomachs. 

If you are fond of sausages, and determined to have 
them any way, I advise you to get a meat-cutting 
machine and make your own. Then you will know 
whether you are eating dog, horse or hog. If you 
don't care what you eat, your machine will save you 
some expense, for you can cut up the old dogs and 
make them into sausages for your own use. But I 
presume if you conclude to have a meat cutting ma- 
chine, it will be for a more pleasant use, that is, you 
can be sure of having sausage not made of dead dog. 

To Place Fence Posts. 

If the small end of posts are placed in the ground, they -will last 
much much longer than if placed with the butt ends downward. 

To Cleanse the Hands from Dye Stains. 

Pour a thimble-full of the oil of vitriol into a basin of water, and 
wash without soap, When the stains are entirely removed, and 
not before, wash completely in clean water, (if warm so much the 
better,) using no soap until the acid is entirely off. 

To whiten the hands, wash them clean, and just before going to 
bod, wet them a little with soft water ; then take some c*§tjl9 



190 Boiled Potatoes for Milch Oows. 

soap, and passing it through the hands and thus getting consider- 
able soap on the hands, let it dry on and stay there till morning. 
This way is cheap, simple, easy, harmless, and sure. 

Boiled Potatoes for Milch Cows. 

A successful farmer informs us that he has practiced the last 
summer, giving to each of his milch cows five quarts of boiled po- 
tatoes a day, and they were worth for that purpose half a dollar 
a bushel. His old potatoes were worth nothing in the market, 
and so he boiled up some twenty-five or thirty gallons at a time. 
He says that he could see no benefit whatever from giving them 
old potatoes in a raw state. There is a period from the first of 
July to the first of August when cows need some additional food, 
aud if boiled potatoes will help them bold out their milk till it is 
time to feed out the Southern corn, we may hope to carry cows 
through the whole summer season in a condition to yield a good 
profit, especially on farms remote from the market.— Maine Far- 
mer. 

Dont forget that frequent change of food is impor- 
tant for cows that give milk, in any season of the 
year. Cows tire of one kind of food and will always 
do better if frequent changes are made. I think that 
if more cabbages were raised and fed to milch cows, 
it would be an advantage. 

Sunshine in Parlors. 

The horror of sunshine, by no means too abundant in this re- 
gion, has more to do with the fear of discoloring curtains and car- 
pets than it ought to have, especially among the rich. What sig- 
nifies the fading of a few colors, easily replaced, compared with 
giving a proper welcome to the great colorer himself — the sun, 
that makes all things beautiful ? There are few sights in your 
town houses more cheerful than a sudden burst of sun into the 
room, smiting the floor into so many windows, and making the 
f oses on every carpet look as if they felt it. Let them fade in good 
season as the others do ; and make up for the expense, dear fash- 
ionable people, by staying a little more at home, keeping better 
jtiours, and saving the roses on your cheeks. 

In another place I have spoken of the importance 
<of sunlight, but seeing the above in a paper, I was 
r -again reminded of the importance of sunshine, and 
therefore concluded to give the above. When we 



Clover Hay, 191 

learn more fully the importance of sun-light, we will 
not shrink so much from being tanned a little. 

"Oh ! blessed be the sun -light, 

It is the smile of God- 
It cheereth up the spirit. 

And warmeth up the blood. 
So let it shine upon you, 

And bask ye in its rays, 
Quite likely it will tan you, 

But 'twill lengthen out your days." 

Nest Eggs. 

To have a supply of these, indestructible to heat or cold, just 
empty some eggs as you need them, through as small an aperture 
as possible : mix up with water to the consistency of cream some 
pulverized plaster ; fill up the shell brimming full ; when they 
have hardened, if you choose to peel them, you will find them per- 
fect ; and if you think your Brahmas will be fastidious about col- 
or, a little annatto mixed in will render the illusion perfect. 

The higher you can have your fowls roost from 
the ground, the better. They never roost low from 
choice, and you should provide them with a roosting 
place pretty well up. When fowls roost near the 
ground, numerous diseases are brought on by the 
ground being saturated with their droppings. 

Clover Hay. 

Clover hay is much better for sheep, than grain, 
unless it is for ewe* about yeaning time. Give the 
ewes along in the season, plenty of clover and some 
oats. If you feed them with timothy, give them 
Corn. Clover hay for sheep should be cut in blos- 
som. Give them plenty, and they will need no tur- 
nips or potatoes to keep them in good order. It is 
best to commence feeding the ewes with clover and 
>ats early in the winter, but along at first give only 



192 Points of an Excellent Milch tiow. 

a very small allowance of oats, and increase it grad- 
ually, as lambing time approaches. 

Points of an Excellent Milch Cow. 

A cow of beautiful symmetry is eminently desirable, as the 

?hysical beauty of any animals always enhances their cash value, 
et, beauty and superior milking qualities are seldom found in 
one cow. There are certain signs which can usually be relied on 
as indicative of a superior animal for milk in large quantities, 
vet of an inferior quality, either for butter or cheese, providing 
the cow has been properly reared, and her milking qualities not 
impaired in any way by improper management, which often mis- 
leads, or deceives a purchaser, when he is confident he is selecting 
a good milker. 

The first and always infallible indication of a superior milker, 
is an udder and teats of medium size and of fair proportions. Let 
Let us see no part of a cow but these, and we will select the 
best milkers and reject the inferior ones with almost unerring cer- 
tainty. A poor milker may be detected at a glance, not by a 
homely form, but by a small udder, and teats too short and di- 
minutive to be grasped by a hand of ordinary size. If a cow be 
deficient in these points set it down against her, that she will nev- 
er be a superior animal either for butter or milk, except in a small 
quantity. A cow having a long disproportioned udder, with teats 
as large as a man's wrist, may possess the qualities of a medium 
milker, but will never be found to yield as much rich milk as a 
cow having a square udder, about as large as a ten quart pail, and 
four teats only, a good distance apart, and nearly as long as the 
width of a man's hand. 

In £<y ition to tfles e signs of a milker, the color of the skin is 
° n -?b° most important indications of a superior cow for rich 

milk. A cow having a black or white skin may give a large 
quantity of milk, but it will be thin and white, often requiring 
Iv, 0rn ° l ne " tt ? ird to one-half more to a pound of butter or cheese, 
than the milk of a cow having a yellow skin. If a cow having a 
yellow skin, whether she be of a red, brindle, white, roan, brown, 
or any other color, and her hair feels like velvet, and she have 
an udder and teats of the size and form just alluded to as indica- 
tive of a superior milker, if she be as homely as the old red cow 
with a " crumpled horn," that we read of in the story of" the 
House that Jack built," we may feel assured that she will give 
nch milk. J 

Another sign in conuectlon with the other good'ones, is a stri- 
ped hoof, although striped hoofs may be seen on poor cows. But, 
if a cow have a yellow and soft skin, and a vellow or striped hoof, 
it shows that she will always give milk of an excellent quality, 
though she may yieJd but a little of it. A cow having black hoofs 
will seldom yield rich milk. 

Steamed'Bro win 'Bread. 

Take 1 quart of Indian corn meal, 1 pint of wheat flour, 1 quart 
pf »we«t milk, 1 teacujpful of molasses, J tcaspoonful of saleratu*, 



Oakes. 193 

and 1 teaspoonful of 6alt. Mix and steam 2% hours. Then bake 
^i hour. 

This makes the best brown bread I ev.er ate, and 
I have eaten a great many kinds. For a change 
rye or Graham flour can be used. 
Rich Tea Oakes. 

Take 4 eggs, 1 pound of wheat flour, 1 pound of sugar, % pound 
of good butter, 1 pound of raisins, 2 gills of cream, 1 gill of rose 
water, 1 nutmeg, and 14 a teaspoonfnl of soda. 

These ingredients properly mixed and baked, make 
very rich and good cakes. Indeed they are pro- 
nounced perfectly splendid. Many wedding cakes 
are not half as good as cakes made with the above- 
named ingredients. If you want, some cheaper tea- 
cakes, you may make them after the following recipe, 
but they are not quite as good. 

Take 1 pound of wheat flour. 4 ounces of suerar, 3 ounces of Gut- 
ter, a very little soda, 5 or 6 ounces of water, a.id (i orifices of milk. 
Rub the butter into the flour, and dissolve the sugar and soda in 
the milk. Then proceed in the usual way of making cakes. 

Sponge Cake. 

Beat the whites of 10 eggs to a froth; beat the yolks in another 
dish; then put together and beat with the sugar; this done, stir 
in 12 ounces of flour and season with cinnamon. 

Cheap Sponge Cake.— Take 3 eggs, 3 cups of sugar, 1 cup of 
milk, 1 teaspoonful of saleratus, a little salt and spice, and flour 
enough to make a good stiff batter. Do not be more than 20 
minutes in baking. 

Wonders. 

How these cakes got their name is more than I 
can tell you. Here are the proportions of ingredi- 
ents for making them. They are said to be very 
rich and good ; 

Take }4 a poimd of butter, 2 pounds of flour, 10 eggs, % a pound 
of lugar, and flavor with cinnamon, 
I 



194 OakeB. 

Wedding Cake. 

The following are the correct proportions of ingre- 
dients for a good wedding cake : 

Take 24 eggs, 3 pounds of butter, 3 pounds of fugar, 4 pounds 
cf fionr. 4 pounds of currants, 2 pounds of raisins, 2 gills of rose 
water, 3 nutmegs, 1 ounce 'if mace, :.ud % a pound of citron.— 
riie^c proportions may be varied a Hctle if thought best, but do 
not vary them much if you want a r< j ally good cake. 

Breakfast Cake, 

Take 1 quart of flour, % a dozen eggs, 4 ounces of butter, and 
2 ounces of sugar. Mix the butter with the flour; beat the eggs 
and add a sumcieni piantity of milk; pour this gradually into 
the flour, and add a teaspouniul of salt; work for 10 minutes. — 
Now take a knife and cut the dough into chunks of Lhe proper 
6ize, and roll them ont as thin as you want them. Bake quick. 

Nice Cake. 

One cup of cream, % a cup of butter, 1% cups of sugar, 2 eggs, 
1 teaspoonful of saleratus, and the proper amount of flour. 

Pound Cake. 

Six eggs, 1 pound of sugar, 1 pound of flour, 3 spoonfuls of rose 
water and spice to suit the taste. A little butter is needed. 

Cup Cake. 

One cup of butter, 2 of sugar, 3 of flour, and 4 eggs, together 
with a a sufficient quantity of nutmeg and soda. 

Bride's Cake. 

Take the whites of 10 eggs, 12 ounces of sifted loaf sugar, >£ a 
pound of bul ter, 3 -pooniuls of milk, a very little saleratus, but 
no spice. Use your own judgment as to the amount of flour. 

Delicate Cake. 

Take the whites of 8 eggs, 2 cups of sugar, 2 cups of flour, and 
1 cup of butter 

Drop Cake. 

One pound of flour, 1 pound of sugar, the yolks of 10 eggs, the 
whites of 2 eggs, and rose water, nutmeg, etc., to suit the taste. 

Queen Cake. 

Take 1 pound of butter, 1 gill of rose water, 1 pound of flour, 
1 pound of fine siurar, 2 eggs, % pound currants. These ingredi- 
ents properly combined and baked, are said tp make excellent 



195 

Composition cake. 

1 pound of flour, 1 cup of sugar, % a pint of cream, 4 ounces of 
lard, and 6 eggs. 

Lemon Cake. 

Take 1 cup of butter, three cups of powdered sugar, rub to a 
cream. Then stir in 1 whole egg and the yolks of 5 more; which 
have been well beaten, also 1 teaspoonful of paleratus and a cup 
of milk. Add enough lemon juice to suit the taste, and four cups 
of flour. Bake half an hour or a little more. 

Gold Cake. 

Take the yolks of 3 large eggs, 2 cups of brown sugar, 1 cup of 
butter, 1 cup of milk, 1 teaspoonful of saleratus, and enough flour 
to form a batter of the usual thickness. The yolks should be well 
beaten, and I thinkfthat six instead of three should be used. 

Silver cake. 

Take the whites of 5 eggs, and beat them to a froth, 1 cup of 
milk, 1 teaspoonful of saleratus and as much flour as is needed. 
Flavor to suit the taste. 

Snow cake. 

Take 1 pound of flour, 1 pound of fine white sugar, >£ pound of 
butter, 1 gill of rose water, and the white of 16 eggs. 

Loaf cake. 

Two pounds of flour, >£ a pound of sugar, 4 ounces of lard, 3 
egg6, 1 gill of milk, a few drops of rose water, and 3^ a teacupful 
of sweet yeast. For spice, use cloves or nutmeg or both. 

Coffee Cakes. 

Take some rice that has been boiled soft ; then take as much 
flour as rice, and half as much Indian meal as flour, and a little 
yeast. Mix with a sufficient quantity of water and let it rise over 
night. This can be made into biscuits for morning use. 

Dough Nuts. 

Take 1 cup of new milk, >£ a cup of sugar, 1 teaspoonful of sal- 
eratus, 1 teaspoonful of salt, and flour enough to make of the 
proper thickness. 

Good Dough Nuts.— Three cups of sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup of but- 
ter, 1 pint of buttermilk, 2 cups of cream, 1 nutmeg, with salera- 
tus and flour. 

Common Dough Nuts.— One pound of flour, 4 ounces of but- 
ter, 4 ounces of sugar, 2 eggs and spice to suit. 

Cheap Dough Nuts. — One cup of sweet milk, 1 cup of sugar, 
1 teaspoonful of saleratus, and a sufficient quantity of flour. Put 
in salt and spice to suit. 



196 Pastry- Johnny Oake. 

Ginger Bread. 

One cup of molasses, 1 of water, a small piece of butter, 1 large 
spoonful of ginger, and a teaspoonful of saleratus. 

Baker's Ginger Bread. — One pound of flour, 1 quart of molas- 
ses, 6 ounces of butter, 1 ounce of saleratus, and 1 ounce of ginger. 

Family Ginger Bread.— Five cups of molasses, 2 cups of boil- 
ing water, 4 teaspoonfuls of saleratus, a small piece of melted 
butter, and enough flour to make it sufficiently stiff. Roll thin 
and bake in pans. 

Pastry. 

The following remarks on pastry will be useful : 

Heat is said to render pastry heavy, and it should, therefore be 
prepared in a cool place. For pastry you should get the very 
best quality of flour, and keep it in dry jars covered so closely as 
to exclude the air as much as possible. In this way you will be 
able to have lighter and better pastry. When butter is used in 
making pastry it should be well washed in pure cold water, to ex- 
tract most of the salt. 

About half a pound of shortening is usually used in making a 
common pie crust, but the proportion may be increased or dimin- 
ished to suit. If you care more for the looks than the taste of 
your pie crust, use only lard for shortening; but if you put in 
some butter, it will make it taste better. Bake in a quick oven 
if you want your pastry nice. If the weather is very cold the 
shortening should be warmed a little before using, but it should 
not be melted, for that will render the pie crust flaky. 

Pastry is considered unwholesome when eaten too freely. Chil- 
dren should not be allowed to eat too freely of it at any time. 

Johnny cake. 

Put 1 quart of sifted corn meal into a pan, and after making a 
hole in the middle pour in a pint of warm water. The meal and 
water should now be gradually mixed, and a teaspoonful of salt 
added. It should be beaten very fast and for some time. Unless 
it is well beaten till it becomes pretty light, it will not be good. 
After it has been thoroughly beaten, spread it out thick and even 
to bake. If a few teaspoonfuls of wheat flour are added it will 
be an improvement. 

Superior Johnny Cake.— Take 2 cups of Indian corn meal, 2 
tablespoonfuls of molasses, 2 cups of sweet milk, 2 eggs, 1 cup of 
flour, and a little saleratus. 

Corn Cake. — Two cups of fine yellow corn meal, 1 cup of flour, 
2 eggs, 2 spoonfuls of sugar. Then add enough buttermilk to 
make a thin batter, and pour into pans so it will not be more than 
an inch thick. 

Short cake. 

One pint of sour cream, % a cup of butter, 2 eggs, with a little 
saleratus, and flour enough to make the batter pretty stiff, 



Bisouit, Broad. 197 

Tea Biscuit. 

Take 1 pint of sour milk, 1 teaspoouful of saleratus, and flour 
enough to knead; add a little butter and salt; then roll it out and 
cut iuto biscuits of the proper size. 

Sponge Biscuit. 

Beat the yolks of 12 eggs for % an hour. Then put in a pound 
and a half of fine sifted sugar, and whisk it till it rises in bubbles. 
Now beat the whites of 12 eggs to a froth and whisk them well 
with the sugar and yolks. Then grate the peels of 2 lemons, and 
work them in together with 1 pound of flour. Bake in tin moulds 
buttered, in a quick oven for an hour. Before you put them in the 
oven to bake, sift a little fine sugar over them. The above pro- 
portions can be varied a little without material injury, but do'nt 
vary the proportions much or you may spoil the whole thing. 

Bread. 

.The dough should be well and thoroughly kneaded. It is not 
good economy to purchase poor flour. Flour which has been re- 
cently ground and never packed in barrels is considered much 
better than old or barrelled flour. 

When you take the bread out of the oven, if you set it flat on 
the table it will sweat and thus cause a bad taste. For this rea- 
son it is best to set it up endwise, and let it lean over a little 
against something. A cloth wrung out of cold water should be 
wrapped around the loaf, to prevent the crust from being thick 
and hard. Many have an idea that warm bread should not be 
eaten. I shall find no fault with those who hold that idea, but if 
we should not eat warm bread any faster than we do cold, it would 
not be likely to do us any great amount of injury. The principal 
reason why warm bread is injurious, is because those who eat it, 
fall into the fault of eating too fast and too much, and at the same 
time, of using too much butter. The next time you eat warm 
bread, do not eat any more of it than you would if it was cold, 
do not eat it any faster, nor use any more butter than you would 
on cold bread. 

Pumpkin Bread. 

There is no secret in making this bread ; all you have to do is 
to add a sufficient quantity of well boiled pumpkin to the ingre- 
dients for making brown Dread. 

Rice Bread. 

Boil one pint of rice soft, and add a pint of yeast. Use three 
quarts of flour and a little cinnamon ; also one cup of sugar. — 
Bake the same as other bread. 

Cream of Tartar Bread. 

1 quart of flour, 2 teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar, 1 teaspoonful 
of saleratus, 2>£ cups of milk, and as much sugar as you please. 
Bake twenty minutes. 



198 PudaiBg* 

Sour Milk Bread. 

In making this bread have your flour all ready, and aftef sweet- 
ening the milk with a sufficient quantity of saleratus, put in a lit- 
tle salt. Make it rather soft, and pour it into the pan to bake. 

Graham Bread. 

Take 3 pints of warm water, 1 teacupful of corn meal, 1 teacup- 
ful of wheat flour, a small amount of yaast, two spoonfuls of mo- 
lasses, the proper quantity of salt and saleratus. Stir together, 
and then add as much Graham flour as can be easily stirred in. 

There are more than a dozen ways of making Gra- 
ham bread, but I think there is no need of giving them 
here. Some like the bread best when sweetened 
with sugar instead of molassess. Any one who un- 
derstands cooking can vary the proportions to suit 
different tastes. 
Potato Bread. 

It seems to be a little more troublesome to make 
bread after the following recipe, than some other 
modes, but the quality of the bread over-balances all 
extra work. If your flour and yeast are good, it will 
insure you the very best of bread, less liable to sour 
than when made in any other way : 

For 4 loaves, take a half dozen good sized potatoes, or small 
ones in the same proportion ; wash clean, and boil until done, 
then mash fine and add % quarts of water, and run through a col- 
lander or seive to take out the peelings ; then take 3 or 4 table- 
spoonfuls of flour, and mix with water till about as thick as for 
starch, and add to the potato water. Then put in a half pint of 



good hop yeast, made as above, and set it in a warm place over 
night. In the morning stir in flour till thick as common rising, 
set in a pan of warm water, and if managed properly, you will 



have a light sponge in less than an hour ; then knead in flour in 
the usual manner, adding a little salt and a small piece of short- 
ening ; let it rise, then mould into loaves, and when just light 
enough, put it in the oven and bake one hour. 

Pudding. 

Pudding bags should be made of sheeting sufficiently thick and 
close to exclude as much of the water as possible. Do not forget 



Puddings, 19$ 

to wring the bag out in water before filling it, and put some flour 
in the bag and rnb it all over the inside surface. To prevent the 
pudding being heavy, do not till the bag quite full, but leave room 
enough for the flour to swell. If you fill the bag too full vou will 
have a hard and heavy pudding. Place the bag on an oid plate 
in the pot. Do not let the water stop boiling after the pudding 
is put in. Keep the pudding completely covered with water. If 
the water boila down so low as to require more water, pour in 
boiling water, because cold water would injure if not entirely 
spoil the pudding. Just before taking the pudding out, it will be 
well to dip the bag in cold water. 

Rice pudding, with Fruit. 

Put 2 large spoonfuls of well washed rice in a pint of new milk. 
Then pare and quarter one common sized apple, and add it to the 
above with 1 ounce of dried currants, and two ounces of raisins. 
Simmer very slowly till the rice is sufficiently soft. Then add 1 
egg that has been well beaten. This may be served with cream 
and sugar to suit the taste. 

Pudding Sauce. 

Take a pound of sugar, and 4 ounces of butter. Boil 15 minutes. 
Then add one tablespoonful of rose water, and a little nutmeg. 
Put all the above together with a large tablespoonful of flour, in 
a pint of water and boil a few minutes. 

Mother Eve's Pudding. 

Pare 6 common sized apples and cut them up into very small 
pieces after the cores have been taken out. Then take some bread 
and cut off" the crust, and throw it away ; crumble the rest up 
very small. Take also 6 ounces of dried currants, 6 ounces of su- 
gar, 3 eggs which have been well beaten, and add to all of the 
above, salt enough to suit the taste, and flavor with nutmeg. Stir 
all of the above ingredients together and boil it gently for 3 hours. 
It should not be boiled fast, but when it commences boiling, it 
must not be allowed to stop for at least 3 hours. It may be served 
with or without sugar and butter. Most of those who have eaten 
it, pronounce it good enough with sugar and butter on it. 

Bread Pudding. 

Take 1 quart of milk and soak crumbs of dry bread in it till it 
is soft and as thick as butter. Then add 3 egs:s, a little salera- 
tus and sugar enousrh to sweeten it. Flavor with nutmeg, cinna- 
mon, or anything that suits your taste. Then boil it three-fourths 
of an hour. 



Boiled Bread Pudding. 



Crumble up as much bread as you need for thepudding. Then 
pour on boiling milk and cover it up close. Let it soak 2 hours. 
Then beat it up, and add 4 well beaten eggs and a little cinna- 
mon. Put this all into a basin just the right size to hold it, and 



ioo 



Puddings, 



give it a little room lo "swell, but it will not swell much. The 
c!o*h tied over the basin should be floured on the side next to the 
ouOding. Tie it ou tight, and put it into boiling water. 

Flum Pudding. 

Break half a pound of crackers into small pieces and then put 
them into 1)4 quarts of milk. Let them alone till-they are soaked 
soft, alter which put in 4 ounces of melted butter, 4 ounces of 
fine sugar, X P int of wheat flour, a little grated nutmeg, and 1 
d'-am (>f muriatic acid. Then beat 10 eggs to a froth and stir 
them in. Now add half a pound of raisins, and 4 ounces of dried 
eurrants, with 3 ounces of citron, which has been cut into very 
email pieces. This may be either baked or boiled. It should be 
baked or boiled at least two hours. 

Our Plum Pudding. 

The following is our favorite pudding, and can 
bardly fail of proving a valuable addition to the cui- 
sine of every housekeeper. It may be kept for a 
week, it it lasts that long, and be just as good as the 
first made : 

1 cup euet chopped fine 1 cup molasses, 1 cup milk, 1 cup 
se ;ded iai <kl salt and spice to suit the taste. 

Bui! in a covered dish 3 -i hours. Serve with wine sauce. 

Compound Pluih Pudding.— Take 1 pound of flour, 1 dram of 
bi-varbonate erf' soda, 2 drams of muriatic acid, 8 ounces of beef 
sac, ti ounces of dried currant-, a little nutmeg and finely grated 
orange peel, 4 well beaten eggs, and 2 ounces of citron. This may 
bs boiled, baked or steamed" It is best steamed, if well done. 

Sago Pudding.— Boil a large tablespoonful of sago in 1 quart 
of milk. Then add a little lemon juice, nutmeg, grated orange 
peel, and 4 eggs. It will take i'rom an hour and a half to two 
hours to bake this as it should be. 

Hasty Pudding. 

Boil as much water as you will need to make as much pudding 
as you want. The meal should be sifted and ready for use. As 
soon as the water in the kettle begins to boil, you can commence 
putting in the meal and stirring it. Have the meal standing in a 
pan near enough so you can reach it. It will take about half an 
hour to cook a pudding of this kind. It may be eaten with milk, 
but many prefer it sweetened with sugar or molasses. Corn meal 
is usually used for this pudding, but for a change, rye flour or a 
little wheat flour may be mixed in. An occasional meal of hasty 
pudding ih good for dyspeptics and costive persons. 



Puddings. 201 

age Pudding. 

The following cheap pudding though called a 
" Cottage Pudding," is good enough for the palace. 
It is a favorite with many. Try it. 

1 cup sugar, 1 cup sweet milk, half cup melted butter, 1 egg, 2 
small teaspoonfuls cream tartar, 1 teaspoonful soda, 1 pint light- 
ly sifted flour. Bake % of an hour. 

Serve with the following 
Excellent Sauce. 

1 tablespoonful flour, 3^ teaspoonful corn starch, cold water 
enough to make into thin paste, in a bowl, pour in bowl half full 
hot water, add half a cup of butter and cup of sugar, and set it in 
top of tea kettle and let it stand half an hour and stir occasion- 
ally, and flavor with wine and nutmeg. 

The following will be found worthy of a trial : 
Sponge Pudding. 

3 eggs, the weight of the eggs in sugar, in butter, and in flour ; 
beat the ingredients together lightly, having first warmed the 
butter. Bake about half an hour in cups. 

Cream Pudding. 

1 quart milk, 5 eggs, 4 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon salt. — 
Boil the milk, moisten the flour with cold milk, add to the hot 
milk and boil three minuteb ; add the eggs and boil up one half 
cup sugar. Flavor to the taste. Turn into a dish for the table, 
and just before sending to the table, strew half a cup of sugar 
over the top. 

Cracker Fruit Padding. 

6 crackers pounded fine, 1 quart boiling milk, 1 spoonful flour, 
1 cup brown sugar, 6 eggs, raisins and currants ; all kinds of 
spice. Bake. This is very nice. 

Brown Batter Pudding. 

1 cup molasses, 1 cup milkj 3 scant cups flour, 3 eggs, salt, % 
teaspoon soda, spice and raisins to taste. Boil 3 hours. Sauce. 

Lemon Rice Pudding. 

Wash 4 small tablespoons of rice, and boil till softened ; 1 quart 
of milk sweetened to taste, butter 6ize of an egg ; when nearly 
cooled, add the beaten yolks of 4 egg's and the grated rind of a 
lemon. To tbe beaten whites of the eggs add the juice of the 
lemon, and four spoonfuls of powdered sugar. Pour the batter 
into a dish, put the whites on top, and bake till brown. To be 
eaten cold. 

£9 



202 Foddingt* 

Dandy Pudding. 

1 quart milk boiled in water ; mix 2 spoonsful corn starch with 
the yolks of 4 eggs and a half cup of sugar, and pour into the 
milk ; stir very quickly and take off at once. Beat the whites of 
the eggs well with half a cup sugar ; spread oyer the pudding 
when cool. Put in the oven and brown it. Flavor with essence 
lemon. To be eaten cold. 

English Plum Pudding. 

An eight cent loaf of baker's bread broken into 1% pints of 
sweet milk, and soaked all night ; % pound butter or suet, Z% 
pounds brown sugar, 1 pound raisins, 1 pound currants. X pound 
citron, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt, 5 eggs beaten light, Xpint of 
wine, % pint of brandy. Boil steadily 9 hours. To be eaten with 
rich 6auce. 

Floating Island. 

1 quart of milk ; stir in 6 yolks of eggs while the milk is hot ;— 
stir until it is cooked; sweeten and spice to taste. Beat the whites 
of the eggs to a 6tiff froth and put them in a collander, pour boil- 
ing water over them to harden them, and then put them on top of 
the custard, with bits of jelly or not, as you choose. 

Corn Meal Pudding. 

Scald 7 spoonfuls of meal with 1 quart of boiling milk, 1 cup 
molasses, salt and ginger to taste. Bake. 

Mrs. B.'s Foam Sauce. 

1 cup sugar, % cup of butter, 1 tablespoonful flour. Beat to a 
cream ; place it over the fire and stir in quickly 3 gills of boiling 
water. 

Fig Pudding. 

The following will be found a delicate and palata- 
ble dessert : 

Haifa pound of figs, % pound of flour, 2 eggs, % pound suet, 
a little sugar, and a little wine, salt and spice to taste. To be 
boiled in a tin shape for 4 hours. 

If the above is not satisfactory, try the following 

as a substitute : 

Bird's Nest Pudding. 

Put into 3 pints boiling milk, 6 crackers pounded fine, and 1 cup 
of raisins. When cold add 4 eggs well beaten, a little sugar and 
4 good sized apples pared and cored. To be baked and eaten with 
warm sauce. 



Puddings, 20S 

Mrs. B.'s Lemon Fie. 

1 cup hot water, 1 tablespoon corn starch, 1 cup white sugar, 1 
tablespoon butter, juice and grated rind of 1 lemon. Cook for a 
few minutes, then add 1 egg. Bake with top and bottom crust. 
This makes one pie, and is nice. 

Mrs. H.'s Boiled Batter Pudding. 

1 cup milk, 1 cup flour. 1 egg. If a larger pudding is wanted, 
mix in the same proportion ; a little salt. Steam or boil. Sauce. 

Sallie'§ Vinegar Sauce. 

2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoonful salt, butter 
size of an egg, half teaspoonful essence lemon, 2 spoonfuls vine- 
gar, a little flour. Beat butter, sugar, lemon, and vinegar and 
flour well together. Pour the water boiling on them, and let it 
scald up. 

Very Rich Sance. 

Half gill wine, half gill rosewater, half pound sugar, butter 
size of an egg, half nutmeg ; set in the top of the teakettle after 
beating all well together, and stir 12 minutes. 

Cocoanut Pie, 

1 quart of milk, 5 eggs, 1 grated cocoanut. Beat the eggs, and 
sugar to sweeten, together, and stir into the milk when hot, then 
add the cocoanut and spice to taste. Bake with a bottom crust 
twenty minutes. 

White Sauce. 

1 cup sugar and half cup butter beaten to a cream ; add half cup 
hot but not ocalded milk ; beat an egg well, and put over the top. 

Apple Custard, 

Pare and core half a dozen very tart apples ; cook them in half 
teacup of water till they begin to soften. Put them in a pudding 
dish and sugar them. Beat 8 eggs with 4 spoonfuls of sugar ; add 
8 pii< ; s milk, pour over the apples, and bake half an hour. 

Nottingham Pudding, 

1 pint outed flour, o gills of milk, 1 gill rich cream, 6 apples, 4 
egg a daltspoon of salt. Pare the apples, and take out the core 
wit; i it cutting them. Mix the batter very smooth, and pour 
ovei ie apples. Bake one hour. Liquid sauce. 

Eve's Pudding, 

Half pound beef suet chopped, half teaspoon salt, half pound 
pared and chopped apples, half pound sugar, half pound flour, 
half pound stoned rair ' as dredged with flour, 5 eggs, I grated nut- 
meg. Sauce. Bake or steam 2 hours. 



304 Puddings. 



plant, 4 < p'mt 

iii, a ounces pounded cracker; 3 eggs. Rub the stewed rhu- 
barb through a sieve; beat the other ingredients well, and add. — 
Bake with a bottom crust only, half an hour. 

Quaking Plum Pudding. 

The following will be found a " toothsome" dish : 

Take slices of light bread, spread thin with butter, and lay in a 
pudding dish layers of this bread and raisins till within an inch of 
the iop. Add 5 vg?s well beaten, and a quart of milk and pour 
over the pudding ; sal 1 and t,pice to taste. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, 
and serve with liquid sauee. 

Before using the raisins, they should be boiled in 
a little water, and then poured in, water and all. 

Baked Indian Pudding. 

The- following is one of the most useful puddings 
made — what the farmers call a good stand by : 

Take 6 tablespoonfuls of meal, and stir molasses or syrup 
enough into ir to have the meal all wet, and no more ; that'will 
ten i enough : then lake 1 quart of milk and boil it ; pour 
i. boiling hoi on the meal ; stir the meal while pouring the milk 
on it, so asnel to make it lumpy. Stir in 8 tablespoonfuls of 
"•• h ■ u floui i w ha little cold milk; --alt and spice to the 
taste, iimi bake <\\o hours. 

If you want something a little richer and nicer 
than the above, try the following : 
Wedding Cake Pudding. 

Two-thirds of a cup of butter, 1 cup molasses, 2 cups of milk, 2 
teaspoonfuls of saleratus, 4 vggx, 2 pounds raisins, stoned and 
chopped, 1 pound currants, k pound citron. — Flour to make a 
battel, as thick as pound cake, salt and all sorts of spices. Boil 
or steam 5 hours. Serve with wine sauce. 

Try the ■' • lowing relict of our forefathers. Do 

],u; ne atraid it was concocted by any of the Salem 

witches. 

Salem Pudding. 

1 cup snet, chopped fine, 1 cup molasses, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon 
soda. 3% cups flour 4 , 2 teaspoons cream tartar, 1 cup raisins, 1 tea- 
spoon Cloves, a little t>alt. Steam thive hours, tauce. 



Custards. Preserves, 205 






v. h( neve* yon nave occasion to make custard, be sure you have 
fresh eggs. Old eggs, even though sound are not as good as new 
ones. "When you prepare eggs for custard, you should beat the 
whites separately and put them in last. Eggs should not be put 
in very hot milk. Custard should be boiled by setting the vessel 
in boiling water. 

Rice Custard.— Take a pint of milk and mix in it half a pint 
of cream, and an ounce of ground rice sifted, also two tablespoon- 
fuls of rose water. Sweeten with loaf sugar and stir it well. — 
When it is nearly ready to boil, add the yolks ot 3 eggs which 
have been previously well beaten. Add also a little cinnamon. 
Stir it and let it simmer about one minute. 

Baked Custard. — Take 2 quarts of milk, 12 eggs, 12 ounces of 
sugar, 1 gill of rose water, 1 nutmeg and a little lemon peel. 

Boiled Custard.— Take 1 quart of milk, and boil in it % a lem- 
on peel and a little cinnamon ; sweeten it with tine white sugar. 
Then strain it and when a little cooled, but before it is cold mix 
in 8 well beaten eggs and a few drops of rose water. Place the 
whole over a slow tire and stir till it is thick enough. A few co- 
riander seeds may be put in before the milk is boiled. 

Golden Boiled Custard.— Take the yolks of 10 eggs and mix 
them with rose water and sugar. Then add a pint of new milk. 
Let it simmer 2 minutes and stir while it is simmering. 

Cream Custard.— Beat 10 eggs and put them into two quarts 
of <rood cream. Now add a little rose water, nutmeg and cinna- 
mon, and sugar enough to make it as sweet as you want it. 

Common Custard.— Boil 1 pint of milk with a little cinnamon 
aud lemon peel. Mix 1 tablespoonful of potato flour with two of 
cold milk. Then mix the whole together and strain through a 
seive into a basin. Now gradually mix in the well beaten yolks 
of 4 eggs, and sweeten it to suit the taste. Place it over Lhe fire, 
and stir a fevr minutes iu order to thicken it. 

Preserves. 

Iron ware lined with porcelain is the best for making preserves 
in, because it is not like brass,subject to verdigris. Wheu brass is 
used in the preparation of preserves, the acids will produce verdi- 
gris For this reason, do not use any brass or other metal on 
which the acids will produce verdigris. Tin and porcelain are 
safe. , 

It should be generally known that boiling fruit in an uncovered 
kettle, and skimming it well is economical. Do this before the 
suo-aris put in and then the skum you throw away is not sweet- 
ened. When sugar is high, you can hardly afford to sweeten the 
skum that rises from the fruit If the sugar is jrood, very little 
skum will rise irora it. Boiling the fruit uncovered, allows the 
evaporation of the watery particles, aud when this is done the 



206 GoodYeast. 

preserves will be better flavored. It is not good economy to use 
too little sugar in preserving any kind of fruit. If you want your 
preserves to look clear and beautiful, use loaf sugar in making, 
but a good quality of clean brown sugar will make them taste full 
as well as nice looking sugar. 

Preserves should be kept from the air. To exclude the air from 
the jars, cut some thick, white paper the proper size, and glaze 
it with the white of eggs. Then let it thoroughly dry, and tie it 
carefully over the jar. It will be better th«ugh, to paste it around 
the edge of the jar, as this will more thoroughly exclude the air, 
and is but little more trouble. All preserves should stand at 
least one night before being covered. Frequent exposures of pre- 
serves to the air will spoil them. This being the case it will be 
wise to select small jars. 

Cheap Preserves. — 3 pounds of apples, and 3 pounds of pears 
well pared and cored. Then take 3 pounds of plums after they 
are pared and the stones removed. Cut them all into small pie- 
ces and add 4 pounds of loaf sugar. Boil three quarters of an 
hour. If more sugar is used, the preserves will be rather better, 
and they are passable when only three pounds are used. They 
will not keep as long as some other preserves. 

Mo hisses. 

If you have molasses in which there is an unpleas- 
ant taste, boil it and skim it before you use it. This 
often takes out the raw taste, and makes it more like 
sugar, but this is not always sure to remove all the 
unpleasant taste, though it seldom or never fails to 
make the molasses taste some better. 

Good Yeast. 

Good yeast is an indispensable article for making 

good bread. Many people cannot procure baker's 

yeast, and some do not like it. The following is 

highly recommended by those who have used it : 

Boil half a dozen medium sized potatoes with a pint of hops, 
until done ; then mash fine and add a pint and a half of flour, and 
6cald with the hop water ; and when sufficiently cool, add a pint 
of good lively yeast ; set in a warm place to rise; when light, 
pour over it a pint of hop -water ; put it in a jug, cork tight, and 
set in a cool place, and ray word for it, you will have as good 
yeast as is seliom found, with little expense. 



Meat Cheese, 907 

Meat. 

It is of some importance to know how to keep 
meat sweet in summer weather. Try this way : 

Cover it lightly with bran and hang it in some airy place, as 
high as possible, and in a current of air if you can, but it must be 
all the time in the shade. 

In this way meat may be kept sweet and good for 
a number of days even in very warm weather. 

Many think that meat is better if kept a few days 
before it is used. If you are of this opinion, the 
above method will be of some use to you. In cold 
weather some make a practice of keeping beef and 
mutton a week or more before using. They think 
poultry is best if dressed and kept in a cool place a 
few days. 

Stuffing. 

To make stuffing, take dry pieces of bread or crackers and crum- 
ble it up fine. Put in some cream, sage, pepper and salt. Moist- 
en some flour with milk, and add 1, 2 or 3 eggs according to the 
quantity of other ingredients you have got together. 

Here is another way of making stuffing. 

Take 4 ounces of fat pork, 2 ounces of crackers, 2 eggs, 1 cup of 
flour, 1 pint of milk, with sage, pepper and salt to suit. If this 
makes it too rich to suit you, increase the quantity of crackers. 

To stuff a goose or duck, many call the following 
excellent. 

Take 2 ounces of raw onions, and 1 ounce of green sage leaves. 
Chop them together very fine, then add 4 ounces of crackers, a 
little butter and 1 egg well beaten. Then pare 1 good sized ap- 
ple and cut into very small pieces, and add it with just enough 
pepper and salt to suit. Some also put in a little cinnamon. 

Cheese. 

Every body knows that skim milk does not make 
as good cheese as milk that has not been skimmed ; 



203 Coloring Qkeest, 

kim milk cheese tJ 
was much better than none at all. 

Heat fresh milk to about 90 degrees before you put the rennet 
in. It is usually calculated that three quarts of milk will make 
one pound of cheese, but sometimes it takes more and sometimes 
less. The rennet should soak at least 12 hours. The milk should 
be put into a large tub and part of it duly warmed, but if too hot 
the cheese will be tough. The proper amount of rennet should 
be put in and the tub covered. The best way of breaking the 
curd is to gather it carefully to one side of the tub with the hands. 
Probably the best way to salt the cheese is to put the salt in with 
the curd in the tub after the whey is out. 

If mites get into the cheese, wash the shelves with strong soap 
suds, and rinse them with clear soft water. When the shelves are 
thoroughly dried, place the cheese back. It is well to do it even 
when there are no mites in the cheese. After cleaning the shelves 
in this way if there are mites in the cheese you will do well to 
take a small piece of woolen cloth, and after dipping it in sweet 
oil rub it well all over the cheese. Repeat this every day as long 
as necessary. 

Coloring Cheese. 

The color of cheese sometimes exerts a greater in- 
fluence than flavor, in securing a ready sale. Most 
people reject a pale, light colored cheese, and choose 
those that have a golden color like rich cream, as 
this is a supposed characteristic of an excellent arti ■ 
cle. A light-colored cheese may possess all the rich- 
ness of one that is as yellow as gold; indeed they 
may both be alike in quality ; and still the golden 
colored one will be pronounced best, and command 
the Lighest price. So much does a good color en- 
hance the value in most markets. 

In order to secure the desired color, it is customary to employ 
annatto, but it may be done without. Let the curd remain in the 
vat, spread out as much as practicable, until it is of the right 
temperature to be put into the hoop. By allowing it to remain 
exposed to the atmosphere while it is cooling, instead of dashing 
cold whey or water on it — as is sometimes done — the rich creamy 
color may be secured without the use of any coloring matter. By 
this means, all the good flavor and richness will be retained ;— 






Taking Medicine 209 

whereas, when the curd is washed, more or less of the valuable 
portions of it are removed by the whey. If the curd be exposed 
to the air in tbis manner, the cheese will be of a uniform color 
throughout. Then if cured with care and the rind kept smooth 
by not allowing the outside to dry faster than the inside shrinks, 
a small quantity of annatto applied to the surface will impart a 
very good color to the exterior. 

Walnut Catsup. 

I give the following a place because it is some- 
thing not generally known among housekeepers : 

Beat 100 green walnuts in a marble mortar till they are com- 
pletely broken, and then put them in a stone jar, with half a pound 
of eschalots cut in slices, one head of garlic, half a pound of salt, 
and two quarts of vinegar ; allow them to stand ten or twelve 
days, stirring them night and morning. Strain off the liquor and 
boil for half an hour, adding 2 ounces of anchovies, 2 of whole 
pepper, half an ounce of cloves, and a quarter of an ounce of mace; 
skim it well, strain, and when perfectly cold, pour it gently from 
the sediment into small bottles. Secure from the air by sound 
corking, and store it iu a dry place. The sediment is usually re- 
served for flavoring sauces. 

Taking Medicine. 

The habitual use of medicine should be discour- 
aged. The habit of taking medicine every time one 
feels a little unwell is a very pernicious one, and 
often results in much sickness and suffering that 
would otherwise be avoided. The physical system 
of man is very delicately organized, and disordered 
action often comes from causes that seem trivial. — 
The habit of continually introducing medicine into 
the system will tend to irritate certain organs, and 
thereby establish a condition of permanent disease. 
The anatomical organization of all human beings are 
in some respects alike, but there are individual pe- 
culiarities which will modify the action of medicine, 
so that in different constitutions the same medicines 
produce different effects. The amount of medicine 



210 Taking Medicine. 

required to produce a certain effect in one person, 
would hardly be felt in another. A dose of medi- 
cine that produces but little effect on one person may 
cause violent action in another. 

There is a peculiarity of the human system to 
some extent applicable to all constitutions, and that 
is the power of adapting itself to circumstances. If 
we use medicine habitually, the system soon learns 
to adapt itself, in part at least, to its use, and in or- 
der to keep up the action or effect we must increase 
the dose. If we continue taking the medicine every 
day we must continue to increase the amount taken, 
and as we increase the amount we increase the dis- 
eased condition of the system. 

Instead of taking much medicine I would recom- 
mend some simple treatment. If you find yourself 
nnwell, decrease the amount of food taken into the 
stomach, bathe frequently and sleep more than usu- 
al, if you can quiet yourself to do so without taking 
medicine to cause sleep. There is no doubt but that 
taking too much medicine causes nearly or quite as 
much sickness as it cures. If you have any occa- 
sion to call a physician, I advise you to call one who 
has the reputation of curing his patients with little 
or no medicine. If your physician can cure you 
without medicine, you can better afford to pay him 
ten dollars than you can to pay him five if he makes 
you swallow many doses of poison stuff which he 



Eating and Drinking. 211 

will call medicine. Never employ a physician who 
gives such medicines if you can find one who gives 
little or none. 

Eating and Drinking. 

In addition to what I have already said about eat- 
ing and drinking, I would add the following : 

Never eat or drink anything unless it tastes good. 
If by chance you take any victuals into your mouth 
that tastes bad, do not swallow it but spit it out. If 
there is any bad tagte about your common food or 
drink, it is sufficient proof that it is not needed. If 
you find that even the most wholesome food does 
not taste good, then I advise you to eat nothing for 
some time. Indeed eat nothing till you are hungry 
enough so that your food can be eaten with a relish, 
and drink nothing till water tastes good. This is 
always a safe rule to go by. The great trouble is, 
we are likely to eat and drink too fast. Let nothing 
induce you to swallow your dinner or anything else 
in a hurry. Do not plead that business demands 
that you shall eat fast — good health demands that 
you shall eat slowly. If you find by actual experi- 
ence, that any particular kind of food injures you, 
do not eat so much of it. Many say they are very 
fond of a certain article of food but it injures them, 
when the real fact in the case is, that the injury 
arises from eating it too fast, or eating too much of 



212 Stuttering. 

it. Should you find that some particular article of 
food that you like, does not agree with you, it may 
be well to enquire into the matter a little, before en- 
tirely rejecting it. A close and careful investigation 
of the case, may reveal the fact that the food is re- 
ally wholesome, only you have been in a habit of 
eating too much of it, or eating it too fast. If such 
should prove to be the case, then be a little more 
careful, and eat more as you should eat. 

If you feel stupid, and indisposed to exertion after 
eating, the probability is that you have eaten more 
than you needed, and eaten it too fast. If you will 
adopt the practice of eating very slowly you will not 
be as likely to overload your stomach. 

FouB Air In tSic §sck Room. 

Even when especial pains are taken to keep a sick- 
room well ventilated, there will be an unpleasant odor 
there. This disagreeable odor may be removed by 
scorching a few grains of coffee in the room. Usu- 
ally simple scorching will be enough, but sometimes 
it will be best to let the coffee burn. This does not, 
however, wholly remove the unpleasant odor of to- 
bacco. 

Stuttering. 

It is said that Demosthenes stuttered, but over- 
came the difficulty by persevering efforts. He used 
to get away by himself and put something in his 



Stuttering. 213 

mouth and then speak and read as distinctly as pos- 
sible. The extra care required to speak plainly 
with a few pebbles in his mouth at length enabled 
him to entirely overcome the difficulty. One good 
practice to enable those who stammer to overcome 
the difficulty, is the following : 

Take a little piece of hard wood, just large enough to hold be- 
tween the teeth and hold them from a quarter to half an inch 
apart. Let the stick be long enough to reach into the mouth 
about an inch; hold it firmly between the teeth and read or speak 
slowly for a few minutes at a time. Do this several times a day, 
and continue the practice for some length of time. Read or speak 
deliberately and with varying degrees of force. Sometimes speak 
in a loud, full voice, and again almost or quite in a whisper. 

I once knew a man who cured himself by this 
practice. Reading in concert will also be of use. — 
It will be of advantage to hold something in the 
mouth or between the teeth part of the time during 
this exercise. Do not confine yourself to one thing 
but practice the different methods at different times. 
With care you will undoubtedly be able to overcome 
this embarrassing difficulty. The same practice that 
will cure stammering will often overcome other de- 
fects in articulation. The following is quite highly 
recommended for correcting defects in articulation : 

Take a few lessons in elocution. Carefully learn the nature and 
character of the elementary sounds. Learn how to make each 
elementary sound separately without naming the letter that rep- 
resents it. Frequently utter these sounds, and spell woids by ut- 
tering the elementary sounds instead of repeating the letters.— 
Frequently repeat with varying degrees of fore* sentences that 
are rather difficult to utter. 

In part first of Graham's Hand Book of Standard 
Phonography, you will find much valuable inform- 
ation on this subject, A careful study of the "Spe- 



214 Cheap Vinegar. 

cific Directions for Making the Elementary Sounds" 
will be of great use to every one who has any defect 
in articulation. Under the head of " Elements of 
the English Language," he gives a large selection of 
such sentences as this : 

" Three chubby children in Richfield were each choked with 
choice chunks of cheese, much of which was purchased of Charles 
Chickering on Chimborazo." 

Accompanying these sentences are explanations 
and information that cannot fail to be useful to any 
one who stammers or has any defect in articulation. 

Here is another help which may be used in con- 
nection with the methods already given. 

Get a friend to go with you into a room where no one will dis- 
turb you, and have him repeat sentences similar to the one above; 
given. Then as soon as he is through speaking repeat the sen- 
tence after him. While your friend is thu6 assisting you, you 
should attend closely to what he says, and he should make it a 
point to repeat many long and difficult words with varying de- 
grees of force. You should repeat the word as nearly as possible 
in the same emphasis. I have thus assisted many to overcome 
their stammering. 

Cheap Vinegar. 

Simple as the following recipe is, I have known 
it to be sold for five dollars. I am told that it is 
good as well as cheap, and better than the average 
of vinegar usually sold. 

Take 8 gallons of clear, soft water, and add 1 gallon of common 
molasses. Put this into a cask large enough so that it will be 
only about two-thirds full. Roll the cask around so as to mix the 
molasses and water. Then add three spoonfuls of good yeast. — 
Roll the cask again for a few minutes, and if it is in warm sum- 
mer weather, set it out doors on the sunny side of the house, but 
if the weather is cold the cask must be kept in a warm room. In 
two weeks take a large sheet of brown paper and tear it into small 
pieces, and put into one pint of molasses and let it soak over 
night. Then add this to the contents of the cask and again roll 
the cask as before. TJtieN seV it away to be used at any time you 
irant good vinegar. 



Powder of Milk. 215 

Beeswax. 

As some of my readers may wish to know how to 
prepare beeswax from the comb, I offer the follow- 
ing: 

Put the comb in a strong muslin bag. Place the bag in a sauce 
pan with enough water to keep it from burning. Then place over 
the fire and let the water gently boil. While boiling, press the 
bag to extract its contents. Skim off the wax and drop it into 
cold water. It will remain on the surface. When well cooled, 
gather it up, and after putting it in a sauce pan place it over a 
slow fire and let it melt. Then pour off the clear wax into suita- 
ble vessels and let it cool. This will refine it sufficiently. 

Powder of Milk. 

Take 1 quart of new milk, and half a pint of soft water. This 
should be placed over a slow fire and gently heated. Keep stir- 
ring it all the time. When it is about half evaporated, add grad- 
ually one pound of white sugar, but be sure and stir it briskly all 
the time. When sufficiently boiled down, remove from the fire 
and pour into plates. Then thorougbly dry in an oven, but be 
careful and not let it burn. When it is thoroughly dried, powder 
it finely and keep it in well corked bottles. 

Those who have used the above declare it makes 
an excellent substitute for milk. A little of it add- 
ed to water forms an agreeable drink. Many use it 
to season their tea and coffee. It is very convenient 
to carry in the pocket when you are going on a jour- 
ney as you can at any time stir a little of it into the 
water you are to drink. 

Substitute for Eggs. 

Corn starch is said to be an excellent substitute 
for eggs, one large spoonful being reckoned as equal 
to one egg. When eggs bring a high price, it is much 
cheaper to use this substitute. Some who have 
plenty of eggs sell them and use the substitute in- 
stead* If this was generally known, eggs might not 



216 Water Proof OlotL 

always stand as good a chance to bring fabulous prices. 

To Protect Dried Fruit from Worms. 

Mix a little sassafras bark with dried fruit when you put it 
away, and it will prevent it from being destroyed by insects. — 
Besides preventing worms from troubling the fruit, it adds a 
pleasant flavor. 

It is said that fruit may be kept in this way for 
years. The sassafras bark should be well dried and 
broken up into small pieces ; or, if you think best, 
it may be powdered and mixed in with the fruit. 

Indelible Pencil Writing. 

Valuable letters and other important writings are 
sometimes written with a pencil. Should you ever 
have any such writing, you can make it nearly in- 
delible as follows : 

Lay the paper containing the writing in a shallow dish and pour 
skimmed milk upon it, but do not let it remain there long. If 
any spots are not sufficiently wet with the milk, take a feather 
and place a little of the milk lightly on the dry spots. Do this 
carefully, and wet the writing all over. Then take up the paper, 
and let the milk drain off. The drops that collect on the lower 
edge of the paper should be carefully wiped off with a feather. — 
Then dry the paper perfectly, and the writing will be nearly as 
indelible as though written with good ink. 

This is sometimes of importance to artists who 
have pencil drawings which they wish to keep. 

Water Proof Cloth. 

Common cotton cloth can be rendered water-proof 
with but little expense, and not enough trouble to 
amount to anything. Here is the recipe : 

Dissolve 4 ounces of alum and 2 ounces of sugar of lead, each 
separately in a quart of water each. Mix them together thor- 
oughly and let the mixture stand for two or three hours. The 
sediment will settle. Then pour off the clear liquor into a clean 
dish and immerse the cloth, leaving it in till thoroughly satura- 
ted, after which you will dry the cloth in a warm room. Im- 
merse the cloth three times and thoroughly dry after each,— 



Catarrh. 217 

When it has been thoroughly dried the last time, take some 
white chalk and rub it well all over both sides of the cloth. Thia 
will render cotton, silk, or linen water-proof. 

I first bought the above recipe from a man in Du- 
buque, Iowa. I tried it and found it worked well. 
I then tried it without the chalk, and found it wouH 
do just as well. Next time I tried it without the 
sugar of lead and found it still almost as good as be- 
fore. I would now say to render cloth water-proof, 

, Make a strong solution of alum water; dip the cloth in it three 
times and thoroughly dry after each immersion. It should al- 
ways be dried in a warm room. Hot water must be used in dis- 
solving the alum. 

In this way you can render a good pocket hand- 
kerchief water-proof and tie up a pint of water in it 
and cany it in your pocket. 

Catarrh. 

I have never yet seen any one much troubled with 
catarrh who had not some other complaint or com- 
plaints. 

To cure catarrh attend to the general health, and do not cat 
much meat. Do not eat meat more than twice a week. Do not 
■eat much sweet food or use sweet drinks. But person's troubled 
wjth this disease may eat an egg or two every day. Do not al- 
low them to be boiled very hard, or fried in hog's grease. Bathe 
<often and be sure to wash the head thoroughly every morning. 

I was once severely troubled with the catarrh and 
tried many remedies. The best local applicaton is 
this : 

Lean forward and let some one commence pouring e<>M water 
ou the back of the neck. When about one pint has been poured 
on, let the pouring cease for a minute. Then turn your head « 
little to one side and let about a pint be poured on the side of *ha 
neck and face, but most of it should fall behind and just r -Vow 
the ear. Then stop a minute and pour the same on the otlv j|t flp 
Again stop a minute and then pour on the side you po .%a on 
nrst, and after waiting a minute pour on the other side VZZL 

SomucbbeJ"*"'— — - *•*« Hke a towel and v ,f *fu the 



21S Wounds. Corns, 

water from the neck and face, and let some one rub the back < 
the neck and sides of the face with their warm dry hands. R< 
peat this every morning for a week or ten days. Then omit for 
few days and commence again. The amount of water poured o 
is not particular, but do not pour on very great deal nor pour 
very fast. About a pint each time pouring will be about righ 
— that is, about a pint on the back of the neck, then a pintontfc 
side of the neck, etc. You must use your own judgment, in pai 
at least, as to the quantity, perhaps you can bear a little mon 
The water may be best poured from a pitcher, and should fa' : 
from one to three feet in distance. Follow up this treatment 8 
long as may be necessary, but do not fail to attend to the generr 
health. 

Acute Catarrh. 

The following treatment will remove this affectioi 
in nine cases out of ten. 

Bathe the head and face in water as hot as you can bear it f« 
quently during the day, and move the bowels by a brisk cathar 
tic. 

How to Treat a Wound. 

Sponge with cold water till the bleeding ceases, then wipe dr 
and draw the lips together with adhesive plaster, and if large 
put in two or three stitches as may be necessary to hold ther, 
firmly together, and leave the rest to nature. Never interpos 1 
anything solid or fluid between the lips of a flesh wound. In cas 
of extensive wounds it may be necessary to apply a bandage t<, 
support the parts. 

Fainting from Loss of Blood. 

Place the patient in a horizontal position, with the head th< 
lowest. 

Wounds of Large Vessels. 

Take a pocket handkerchief and tie around the limb above tht 1 
wound, put a stick underneath it and twist it until the bleeding 
is stopped, then send for a surgeon. If it be an artery, the blood 
will be bright scarlet in color; and if a vein it will be dark. If an 
artery the blood will come out in jets; and if a vein the streanr 
will be continuous. 

To remove Corns. 

Soak the feet in weak ley until the corn becomes soft. Then 
take a strong saddler's needle and commence raising the harden- 
ed skin at the outside, gradually approaching the center until the, 
whole hardened mass is removed. It causes no pain, and when 
skillfully done the troublesome customer is done for. 

Here is. another : 



Ehenmatism. Painkiller. 219 

Take a lemon, cut a piece of it off, then nick it so as to let in 
he toe with the corn, the pulp next the corn, and tie it on at 
light so that it cannot move. The next morning the corn will 
:ome away to a great extent. Two or three applications will be 
ufflcient for the most inveterate customer. 

Still another cure for the corn pest : 

I Apply a piece of linen saturated with olive oil, to the corns 
light and morning, and let it remain on during the day, it will 
te found to prove a 6low but certain cure; they will wear out of 
he toe, and some of the corns may be picked out after the oil 
las been used for a- time, but care should be taken not to irritate 
he toe. 

If you are troubled with rheumatism and fail to 
ind relief, try the following : 
Liniment for Rheumatism. 

1 pint alcohol, 2 ounces camphor gum, % ounce oil of amber, 
ounce castile 6oap, % ounce oil hemlock, % ounce oil worm- 
rood. Cork tight in a bottle and shake. Bathe the parts before 
, hot Are. 

Rheumatic Liquid. 

Alcohol 1 quart, oil of wormwood 1 ounce, pulverized capsicum 
i ounce, camphor gum 1 ounce, and 1 ounce of oil of origanum. 
?ut all into a glass bottle. Keep it well corked, and shake it up 
)nce or twice a day for a week. Apply to the part affected, and 
•ub it in for at least fifteen minutes each time. The best way is 
,o rub part of the time with the hand and part of the time with 
i piece of flannel. 

Hick's Ointment. 

The following when carefully and correctly pre- 
pared will be found to be a most excellent applica- 
tion for indolent and varicose ulcers, old sores, sore 
Lips, &c. 

**Take of golden litharge }£ of a pound, olive oil 1 pint, strong 
einegar 1 pint. Mix in an iron kettle, and put over a slow fire for 
5 hours, constantly stirring it. Do not allow it to boil or when 
it is cold it will be too hard to use. 

A Simple Painkiller. 

Dr. Hall says neuralgia of the severest character 
is sometimes removed by painting the parts two or 



220 Toothache Drops. Mustang Liniment. 

three times a day with a mixture composed of 
an ounce of the tincture of iodine and half an oun 
of the sulphate of morphine. 

If the above fails, as it may sometimes, try t: 
following, which long experience has proved to ' 
one of the most powerful liniments for the relief 
severe pain : 
Telegraph Painkiller. 

Take equal quantities of spirits of hartshorn, sweet oil a 1 
chloroform; dip into this a piece of cotton cloth doubled, ab( 
the size of a silver dollar, lay it on the spot, hold a handkercb 
over the spot, so as to confine the fumes and the pain immedia 
ly disappears. Do not let it remain on over a minute. Shake 
well just before using, and keep the bottle very closely stopp< 

Magic Tooth- Ache Drops. 

Mix together equal parts of laudanum, tincture of myrrh, sp 
its of camphor, and oil of cloves. Apply to the affected tooth 
a little lint. 

These drops will always give relief, and in mo 
cases entirely cure. 

To Fasten Loose Teeth, 

The following will be found an excellent prepar 
tion to strengthen the gums and fasten loose teett 

Take 1 ounce of myrrh in fine powder, 2 spoonfuls of the bc| 
white honey, and a little green sage in fine powder; mix all w<, 
together, and rub the teeth and gums with it every night a: 
morning. 

Celebrated Mustang Liniment. 

Fortunes have been made out of the following re 
ipe, both by selling the formula and by the mam 
facture and sal© of the medicine. It is a really go( 
thing and worth all it ever cost. Veterinary su 
geons would hardly think of prosecuting their pr 






Burns. Diarrhoea. 22 1 

ission without it. We are glad to give the patrons 
t this book so valuable a recipe. 

Camphor gum 1 ounce, alcohol 1 pint, oil spike 1 ounce, oil or- 
unum 1 ounce, olive oil 1 pint, spirits turpentine 1 ounce, spir- 
i hartshorn 1 pint, oil peppermint >£ ounce. Mix and shake 
ill betore using. 

3or Burns. 

Ipply kerosene oil to a burn and it will take out the fire, and 
pent blistering if applied immediately. If the burn is bad, 
lap cotton wool saturated with the oil on it, until it is done 
Earting. 

; The above is a remedy that is always at hand in 
eery family, 

rem Scalds obBubns.— Apply carded cotton and oil immedi- 
H:ly, exlcudmg the air as perfectly as possible. 

^OB Deep Scalds ob Bubns.— Saturated lime water and olive 
C, equal parts. Apply with a feather. 

Here is another application for scalds or burns. 

-lix thoroughly together equal parts of the white of eggs and 
I seed pr sweet oil, apply to the affected parts linen cloths satu- 
red with this mixture, and change them as often as thev be- 
cne hot or uncomfortable. If linseed or sweet oil is not at hand 
? ~i ; l T S mst ™ d > u^j 1 oil c an be obtained. This application 
umly to be used in scalds and burns where the skin is off In 
* cases where the skin is not removed, cloths wet everv five 
routes in a mixture of two parts cold water and one part com- 

SSiStS^ Si A PP K ed, - wm be , °- fmore service-continue these 
aplications till the burning and inflammation is removed, then 

PS ™Ti e t^? ade *i, 0f eq ^ Parts 0f beesw ax, ^sh butter, and 
ran melted together will soon heal the sores and remove the % 

^rfWpTnm ?hl C r d ^ miU ? a - 1Way l 5? kept exc luded as much \ 
lp?,rpv^t J ♦? - the h $R an , d ***> as tMs ^creases the irritation 
po prevents their rapid healing. 

ELre Remedy for Diarrhoea. 

Among the many prescriptions for the cure of di- 
arhoea, bowel complaint, or any looseness of the 
twels, the following is the safest and surest, and 
ly everywhere be found : 

IS g, JB? 5 alf ^ a P i° Und 0f i he sma11 roots of the wild blackberry 
tin;r n i^t bark ^ ? y ^ thelar ^ erones ; ^ash clean; putini 
w or glazed ware dish, with a quart of water. Steep and boil 



222 Diarrhoea and Cholera Syrup, 

until there is a pint of fluid left. Strain this off into a bottle an 
it is ready for use. It will keep any length of time by adding 
gill or so of alcohol, or of strong brandy or whiskey to prever 
fermentation. A tablespoonful three times a day is a dose for 
grown person. 

Even the army diarrhoea which is " chronic " fror 
its commencement yields to this remedy, with prop 
er precautions as to food. The root may be dug a 
any time during the season and peserved dry. 

An astringent medicine is not to be taken in al 

cases of looseness of the bowels. If the discharge 

are dark-colored, and of an offensive character, the 

show a bilious and morbid condition of the bowel 

and stomach, which require to be thoroughly cleans 

ed with some mild cathartic before any attempt i 

made to check them, when, as a general thing, th 

bowels will regulate themselves without any furthe 

treatment. If however, watery discharges continu 1 

after the bilious matter has passed off then some at 

tringent is necessary. The following is a powerft 

astringent and tonic and the worst cases of diarrhoea 

summer complaint, and cholera morbus, or even cho 

/era itself will yield to its efficacy ; 

Diarrhoea and Cholera Syrup. 

Take 3 ounces blackberry root, 1 ounce golden seal, 1 ounce si 
mach (leaves and berries), 1 ounce valerian, 1 ounce capsicum, 
ounce allspice, 1 ounce ginger root. Put all (in a crude state) t 
gether, and steep in 6 quarts of water, till evaporated to two ;• 
then add 2 quarts of good brandy, 2 ounces extract dandelio 
enough red pepper to make it tolerably hot, and 6 to 8 ounces 
loaf sugar. Dose, for an adult, from 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls in a 1' 
tie warm water, as often as the severity of the case may make 
necessary. 

If all the above ingredients cannot be procured, 



Dysentery. 223 

ill not destroy the property of the medicine if some 
£ them are left out. 
pbr Dysentery. 

i Dysentery is a disease of the lower bowel, caused 
y morbid irritation and inflammation, producing 
emorrhage and intense pain and bearing down ; in 
'hich case astringents, especially those of a hot and 
mtating nature, are not to be taken, as they only 
erve to keep up the inflammation and enhance the 
liniculty, but soothing emollients in the form of clys- 
fprs must be given in their stead. 

For this purpose dissolve 1 teaspoonful of the pulverized leaves 
f lobelia in 1 pint of warm slippery elm water, and inject into 
ae bowels about 1 tumblerful at a time. If the bloody discharg- 
s and pain continue, apply warm fomentations to the bowels, 
ind give freely of warm ginger tea. Starch water with a little 
ludanum in it will be good, if the above ingredients cannot be 
sadily obtained. 

Another Diarrhoea Remedy. 

The following remedy for bowel complaints has 
>een in use in our family for several years, and al- 
ways with the happiest results : 

1 Pulverized rhubarb 1 ounce, peppermint leaf 1 ounce, capsicum 
% ounce. Cover with boiling water and steep thoroughly, strain 
i.nd add essence of cinnamon and bi-chloride of potash, each % 
ttunce, and 4 onnces of loaf sugar. Add good brandy equal iri 
t.mount to the whole. Dose— 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls for an adult, 
to 2 teaspoonfuls for a child; 3 to 6 times a day according to the 
iolence of the attack, until relief is obtained. 

: Another remedy for diarrhoea or bloody flux : 
Diarrhoea Tincture. 

I Compound tincture of myrrh 4 ounces, tincture of rhubarb and 
Spirits of lavender each 5 ounces, tincture of opium 3 ounces, oils 
,»f anise and cinnamon with gum camphor and tartaric acid each 
% of an ounce. Mix thoroughly. Dose — 1 teaspoonful in 3^ a 
;up of warm water sweetened with loaf sugar. Repeat the dose 
*fter each passage. 



224 (hire for Diptheria. 

We do not propose to furnish a work that shall 
take the place of a physician, or one that shall pre- 
clude the necessity or duty of sending for one as soon 
as the necessity occurs, but these remedies which 
will he found in almost every household will some- 
times save life, by being administered at once in the 
absence of the doctor. The following recipe for the 
cure of diptheria, one of the worst forms of disease 
with which people are afflicted, was prepared and 
furnished by a prominent New York physician, who 
says oi' 1000 patients treated with it not one was lost. 

Care fos- Diptlieria. 

Take table salt 2 drachms, black pepper, golden seal, nitrate 
of potash and alum 1 drachm each. Mix and pulverize, put into 
a teacup, which half fill with boiling water, stir well arid fill up 
the cup with vinegar. With this wash swab the back of the 
mouth and throat thoroughly, every half hour, one two and four 
hours iu recovery progresses. Let the patient swallow a little 
each time. Apply 1 ounce each of spirits of turpentine, sweet oil 
and aqua ammonia, mixed, to the whole throat and to the breast 
bone, every 4 hours. Keep flannel on the parts. 

Another Cure for Hydrophobia. 

A celebrated Syrian Missionary, Rev. R. P. Le- 
grand, has given the following as a certain cure for 
this most terrible disease. He says that in Syria, 
where hydrophobia is quite common, he has used it 
in 60 cases and performed 60 cures. 

Take 3 handfuls of the leaves of datura stramonium, boil them 
in a quart of water till it is reduced to a pint, and make the pa- 
tient drink the whole as soon as possible after the bite. 

A violent madness will ensue, but this will be of 

short duration. A profuse perspiration follows and 

,'& in 24 hours the patient is cured. Cauterization 



Fellons. Bilious Oholic. 225 

should also be resorted to as soon as possible, though 
many cures have been effected where this has not 
been done. 

To Cure a Fellon. 

A sure cure for this most painful and troublesome 
affliction would be worth its weight in gold. The 
following has been handed us by an old physician 
who says he has known it to cure in a score of cases, 
and he thinks it will not fail if applied in season : 

As soon as the parts begin to swell, get the tincture of lobelia, 
and wrap the part affected with a cloth saturated with the tinc- 
ture, and the fellon will soon be dead. 

The pain and suffering caused by these torment- 
ors will be an excuse for giving several cures. 

Another Cure. — Apply a salve of marrow taken from the back 
bone of a bullock, so that the part affected shall be completely 
covered. Repeat if necessary, but usually the effect is so speedy 
as to remove the pain and restore the parts to a healthy condi- 
tion in less than an hour. 

Bilious Cholic. 

This is a dangerous and most painful disease and 

requires prompt treatment. The following is given 

as a sure cure : 

Place the patient's feet in warm water as soon as possible after 
being taken. Apply stimulating liniment to the surface. If no 
liniment is at hand, in its stead apply flannel cloths wrung out of 
hot water, or where some sweating herb has been boiled, and give 
the patient one tablospoonful of sweet oil once in ten minutes un- 
til relief is found. It seldom requires more than the third dose. 

To Stop the Flow of Blood. 

Housekeepers, mechanics, or others in handling 
tools, knives and other sharp implements, very fre- 
quently receive severe cuts, from which blood flows 
J3 



226 Hive Syrup. Earache. 

profusely, and oftentimes endangers life itself. Blood 
may be made to cease flowing as follows : 

Take the fine dust of tea and bind it close to the wound— at all 
times accessible and easily obtained. After the blood has ceased 
to flow, laudanum may be advantageously applied to the wound. 
Due regard to these instructions would save agitation of mind, 
and running for the surgeon, who would probably make no bet- 
ter prescription if he were present. 

Hive Syrup. 

The following is the formula for the celebrated 
Hive Syrup, that has been so long sold as a remedy 
for croup in children, and coughs and colds in older 
persons. 

Seneca snake root X pound, Virginia snake root X pound, 
squills 3 ounces, water 3 pints. Mix and simmer to 2 pints; — 
■train and add sugar (white or loaf ) 2 pounds. Dose — for an adult 
a teaspoonful; for children 15 to 30 drops according to age. 

For spasmodic croup in children it has no equal. 

Given in teaspoonful doses, it acts promptly as an 

emetic, thus relieving it immediately. 

Earache. 

Many children are frequently troubled with ear- 
ache, and a sure remedy would be a great relief to 
children and parents too. Hot tobacco smoke used 
to be considered as good a remedy as could be got, 
but the application is inconvenient. The following 
will be found a much more convenient remedy, and 
is said to be reliable. 

Take 1 teaspoonful each of the juice of grated onion and blood 
beet; mix and drop several drops in the ear warm, and use it oft- 
en. If the pain is very great, moisten wool or cotton with the 
same, and put it in the ear every ten minutes. Seldom fails to 
give instant relief. 



Horse Medicines. 227 

Green Salve. 

The following will be found an excellent salve for 
old sores, inflammation, etc. 

Take 1 pound of rosin, 3 ounces of beeswax, 3 ounces of mutton 
tallow, and % of an ounce of verdigris. Melt the rosin, wax and 
tallow together, and when cool add the verdigris finely pulver- 
ized. 

Sticking Salve. 

3 pounds rosin, half a pound mutton tallow, half a pound bees- 
wax, and a tablespoonful of sulphur, melted, poured into cold 
water, and worked and pulled an hour. 

The following recipes will frequently come in play 
on the farm or in the stock-yard : 

Mash For Horses. 

This was furnished by a celebrated steeple chaser. 

Take a feed of oats, a double handful of linseed for each horse, 
and boil for three hours ; then turn into a large tub or earthen- 
ware pan and add as much bran, with just enough warm water to 
moisten the whole thoroughly, put a cloth over it and let it stand 
an hour ; then mix it well, and feed as soon as it is cool enough. 

This mash is very useful when horses in hard con- 
dition "dry up " and grow thin in spite of continu- 
al feeds of corn. Some give it once a week all the 
year round, but oftener, if required by any particu- 
lar horse. A few beans may be boiled with the corn, 
if the horse is in a very low condition. 

Cure for Scratches. 

Apply kerosene oil once a day for a few times. The remedy is 
said to be a good one and will effect a cure in most cases. It is 
easily tried. 

Here is another 
Cure for Scratches. 

Mix white lead and linseed oil in such proportions as will ren- 
der the application convenient. Two or three applications will 
generally effect a permanent cure. 



228 Horse Medicines. 

Cholic'in Horses. 

A correspondent oi the New York. Farmer^' Ciub 
prescribes the following for cholic in horses : 

Put the patient where he can lie down and keep as easy as pos- 
sible. Saturate a blanket in boiling hot water and throw over 
the horse along the back and sides. Sprinkle salt on the back 
forward of the hips. When the blanket cools renew the applica- 
tion till relieved. The horse will stand 140 degrees of heat. 

For;Baulky Horses. 

Take the following mixture and rub the nose of 
your horse to make him draw, and act obedient to 

your eomm'uid : 

Oilof annig, oil of cummin and oil of rhodium, equal parts and 
mix wilh alcohol to cut it. 

Horse Stables. 

In this connection we cannot do better than quote 
the following remarks in reference to two evils in the 
construction cf stables : 

The first is in having the doors and upper floor so low as they 
generally are. On account of these low doors horses instinctively 
learn to fear them, They are also among the most frequent en us- 
es of poll-evil. The horse, when passing through them, is either 
surprised by something it beholds outside the building, or checked 
by the voice or gesture of the person leading him, when up goes 
the head, and crash comes the poll against the beam of the door- 
way. A violent bruise often results therefrom, and a deep-seated 
abscess follows. Low hay floors also produce the same trouble. 
The sudden elevation of the head is, in the horse, expressive of 
every unexpected emotion. The effect is always noticed whenev- 
er you enter the stable rapidly, or at an unusual hour. A sud- 
den noise will also cause the same upward motion of the head. — 
With low stables an injury to the horse is almost inevitably sure 
to follow. 

Again, the easiest position in which the horse can stand, is when 
the hind feet are a very little the highest portion of the body, 
or when the flooring of the stall slants in exactly the opposite di- 
rection to what it does in most stables. This is the other error 
in constructing stables to which we alluded. Horses at liberty 
in a pasture, invariably stand when at ease, with their hind feet 
elevated somewhat, and it is almost a wonder that builders of 
stable;- have not improved upon this fact before, and adapted 
floors to the wants of the horse. The moisture from the horse, if 
the floor slanted toward the forward feel . would help to keep the 



Horse M edioinee. 229 

forward feet moist, cool and healthy, whereas they are now gen- 
Brail, - id ., i b COO] oi/;i}> c-Utio 

at least once a day, in order to be kept in a healthy condition. — 
This is not all. Where the floor slants back, the horse not unfre- 
quently attempts to ease the heavy strain upon the flexor ten- 
dons of the hind legs by hanging back upon the halter. The pres- 
sure upon the seat of the poll stops natural circulation, and in 
time it develops itself into a deep-seated abscess. We should like 
to see the stable in which the two errors in building we have just 
pointed out did not occur. 

To Prevent Flies from Teasing Horses. 

Take 2 or 3 small handfuls of walnut leaves, on which pour 2 
or 3 quarts of cold water. Let it infuse one night, and pour the 
whole next morning in a kettle and boil for }£ of an hour. When 
cold it is fit for use. Moisten a sponge with it, and before the 
horse goes out of the stable let those parts which are most irrita- 
ble and exposed, be smeared over with the liquor. Pennyroyal 
prepared in the same .way, is equally good. Flies will not alight 
a moment on the spot to which this has been applied. 

Ring Bone and Spavin. 

The following has been a secret with veterinari- 
ans, but we are not aware that we are infringing on 
any one's possessory right by giving it place in this 
book. It has cured some pretty hard cases to the 
personal knowledge of the writer : 

Venice turpentine and Spanish flies each 2 ounces, aqua am- 
monia and euphorbia each 1 ounce, red precipitate % ounce, cor- 
rosive sublimate % ounce, lard IX ounces. Pulverize all and put 
into the lard; simmer slowly over coals, and pour off without sed- 
iment. 

For ringbone cut off the hair and rub the ointment well into the 
lumps once in 48 hours. For spavins once in 24 hours. Three to 
four applications will frequently effect a cure. Wash well after 
each application with soap suds rubbing over the place with a 
smooth stick to squeeze out a thick yellow matter. 

Bone Spavin. 

Take the following recipe and form a paste with which thor- 
oughly rub the affected part after having cut the hair off close.— 
Before the application grease around the spot that the medicine 
may not act where it is not wanted. 

Take corrosive sublimate, quicksilver and iodine, of each one 
ounce; rub the iodine and quicksilver together, then add the sub- 
limate. Then add sufficient lard to make a paste. 



280 Horse Medicines. 

Norwegian Cure for Bone Spavin. 

Dog's grease, % pint, best oil oirganum, % ounce. Mix thor- 
oughly and it is ready for use. 

Apply each morning for three mornings, heating 
it in with a hot iron each time ; then skip three 
mornings and apply again as before, until you have 
made nine applications, after which wait ten days and 
if a care is not then effected, go over again the same 
way. 

Here is another spavin cure : 

Take oil of spike, oil origanum, oil of cedar, british oil, and 
spirits of turpentine, each! ounce ; Spanish flies pulverized, 1 oz. 

Apply once' in six to nine days. It will also scat- 
ter poll evil if applied before breaking out 

Poll E vil Remedy. 

Cover the head and head neck with two or three 
blankets ; have a pan or kettle of the best cider vin- 
egar, holding it under the blankets : then steam the 
parts by putting hot stones in the vinegar,' until the 
horse sweats freely. Repeat three mornings, then 
skip three mornings until a cure is effected. 

Another Remedy*, 

The following is said to be a certain remedy : 

Potash % ounce, ext. belladonna, % dram, gum arabic % ounce. 
Dissolve the gum in as little water as possible, then having pul- 
verized the potash, mix the gum water with it and it will soon 
dissolve ; then mix in the extract and it is ready for use. 

Take a small syringe and inject into the pipes, af- 
ter thoroughly cleansing the sore with soap suds, 
made of castile soap. Repeat once in two days, un- 
til a cure is effected, 






Horse MedickeB. 231 

Still Another. 

Poll evil may be scattered if taken before breaking 

out with the following preparation : 

Take mandrake root, mash and boil it ; strain and boil down 
until rather thick, then form a salve by simmering with enough 
lard for that purpose. ' 

Anoint the s welling once a day until it disappears. 

For Bots. 

The following is said to be a sure cure for the bots 
in horses. It is the old cure that has long been 
used by farriers and horse doctors : 

Take new milk 2 quarts, molasses 1 quart, and give the whole 
amount. 15 minutes after, give 2 quarts of warm sage tea. Half 
an hour after the last, give 3 pints of tanners oil, or lard. If that 
does not physic, give another dose. 

Some of the most reliable symptoms of the pres- 
ence of bots are the frequent nipping of the horse at 
his own sides, and by red pimples or projections on 
the inner surface of the upper lip, which may be 
plainly seen by raising the lip up. 

Sloan's Horse Ointment. 

The following is the formula for the popular and 
excellent remedy known as Sloan's Horse Ointment, 
for flesh bruises, broken knees, galled backs, crack- 
ed heels, &c. It is also effectual for burns or scalds 
in human flesh : 

Take 4 ounces rosin, 4 ounces beeswax, 8 ounces lard, and 2 
ounces honey. Melt these together slowly, gradually bringing to 
a boil. As it begins to boil remove from the fire and slowly stir 
in about a pint of spirits of turpentine— then stir until cold. 

Condition Powders. 

The following is an efficient medicine in all cases 
of coughs, colds, distemper, hide bound, and other 



282 Horse Medicines. 

diseases where condition powders are generally given. 

Take fenugreek, cream of tartar, gentian, sulphur, saltpetre, 
rosin, black antimony and ginger, 1 ounce each, cayenne % ounce. 
Pulverize all finely and mix thoroughly. Dose— In ordinary 
cases give 2 teaspoonfuls once a day In feed. You may give it 
twice a day in extreme cases. 

If you have a worn down and apparently broken 
down horse, that you are disposed to turn out on the 
common as a "goner," try the following: 

Condition Powder No. 2.— Take gamboge, alum, saltpetre, 
rosin, copperas, ginger, aloes, gum myrrh, salts and salt, 1 
ounce each. Dose — 1 tablespoonful in bran only, twice a day for 
a few days, then once a day with oats and richer food. The effect 
will be magical. 

Heaves in Horses. 

We have frequently heard old farmers say that 

there was no permanent cure for the heaves. They 
are greatly relieved by stinting the horse of his sup- 
ply of water and letting him go thirsty for some time, 
only wetting his food. A ball made after the fol- 
lowing formula will relieve if not entirely cure the 
worst case of heaves : 

Take 4 ounces each of balsam of copaiba and balsam of fir, add 
calcined magnesia sufficiently thick to make into balls. Give a 
middling sized ball night and morning for a week. 

Here is another remedy highly recommended : 

Take equal parts of lobelia, wild turnip, elecampane and 
skunk cabbage. Put 4 ounces of the mixture into 2 quarts of al- 
cohol, and make a tincture. Let stand a week, then put 2 table- 
spoonfuls into their feed once a day for a month. 

Founder in Horses. 

The following remedy has been applied success- 
fully in several cases of founder : 

After drawing 1 gallon of blood from the neck, drench the horse 
with 1 quart of linseed oil ; then rub the fore legs thoroughly with 
water as hot as you can bear your hand in. 



Oattle Medicines. 235 

The following will be found an effectual 
Physic for Horses. 

Take 5 drams Barbadoes aloes, 1 dram tartrate of potassium, 
2 drams each of ginger and castile soap, 20 drops oil of anise. — 
Mix and make into a ball with gum solution. Feed the horse a 
day or two on scalded bran instead of oats, and then give the ball, 
giving warm drink during the operation. If it does not operate 
m a couple of days, give another ball half the size. 

To Relieve Cattle When Choked. 

Take half a pint of soft soap, 1 quart of sweet milk, mix them 
together, and then let the strongest man who is at hand, place 
his hip firmly against the creature's shoulder; then put both hands 
over the head, between the horns. Now take hold of both sides 
of the upper lip, with a good grip, and raise to any desired point; 
then with a bottle or horn pour half the mixture down the ani- 
mal's throat, a little at a time, then drive- the animal around, and 
if not relieved in a few minutes, give the remainder. 

The above remedy has never been known to fail, 
and it is excellent for the bloat. It is certainly m ach 
easier, and more humane than to run a stick down 
the animal's throat with chances about even, to kill 
or cure. 

Hollow Horn. 

im old dairyman who has used the following rem- 
edy for the cure of the hollow horn or horn ail in 
cattle for many years, says there are few cases that 
it will nor reach and cure. 

Dissolve a tablespoonful of copperas in warm water, and mix it 
with the creature's mess, if it is not past eating ; if it should be, 
pour it down. This dose will seldom need.to be given more than 
once. 

Scours in Calves. 

A safe, sure and convenient remedy for scours in 
calves is a fresh raw egg. 

Take the calf, hold up its head, and hold down its tongue and 
break the egg in its mouth. Repeat the dose twice or three times 
a day until a cure is effected. 



23 4 Oattle Medicines. 

It is equally good for cattle and man in case of 
diarrhoea, chronic or otherwise. But some caution 
is necessary with human beings in haste to be well. 
Two eggs in twenty-four hours is quite as much as 
a sick man ought to take. More may induce fever 
or even insanity. I knew of one case when the pa- 
tient, in haste for strength, took from four to six a 
day, and the result was temporary insanity. 

To make them palatable, beat with sugar, and add 
nutmeg or any other spice and milk. 

Among the diseases that cattle are subject to, 
none are more fatal than bloody murrain. The fol- 
lowing is given as a certain 
Cure for Bloody Murrain. 

Take 1 tablespoonful of saltpetre, dissolved in )£ pint of water, 
(for one dose.) Give three doses the first day, two the next, one 
the next, and so on. I have seen cattle cured with this when they 
were given up to die. 

The above recipe may save some farmer enough 
to pay for this book a good many times over. 

Texas, or Spanish Fever. 

This is a disease that attacks cattle, more espec- 
ially in Missouri, Kansas and the Southwest. The 
following is said to be a sure cure for it : 

Take about a pint of soft soap, and about half a pint of salt ; 
mix them well, and put of this mixture as much as you can around 
the horns of the diseased animal, close to the head, and bind it 
on with a cloth tied around the horns. This will warm the head 
and horns. 

Next cut a slit in the fleshy part of the tail, about three inches 
long, into which put as much soot and ground black pepper as 
will lie on, and if the wound bleeds much, tie something around 
the tail to prevent it bleeding too much, but some bleeding will 
be a benefit to the animal. I have never known this remedy to 
fail. 



Trichinae Preventive. %S5 

Loss of Cud. 

If an animal has lost its cud, the following plan 
may be adopted with a certainty that it will have 
the desired effect : 

Take a dish rag and twist it like a rope, then tie a cord or strap 
on each end of it, and put the twisted rag into the animal's 
mouth ; then tie the cords, or straps, behind the horns, a little 
tighter than a bridle is secured to a horse's head, and it will be a 
certain remedy for lost cud. 

Rinderpest. 

It is not probable that at the present time there 
has been a case in this country of the disease known 
in Europe as the rinderpest. There have been cases 
among our cattle closely allied to it, and it is hardly 
possible that we should escape its visitation entirely. 
Here is a recipe for the only remedy that has ever 
been discovered of any appreciable efficacy : 

Take equal portions of onion, shalot and garlic, peel them and 
pound them together to reduce them to a fine pulp ; add to this 
one-third of their weight of ground ginger. Take as6afoetida 
about two-thirds of the weight of the ginger ; boil the whole in 
water. Boil some rice in water till thoroughly soft, and add the 
rice water to the mixture, so that the former may be one and a 
half times in excess of the latter. Dose for a full grown animal, 
a good pint. 

Trichinae Preventive - 

While it is undoubtedly true that there are well es- 
tablished cases of trichinae in this country, it is yet 
probably very limited in its range of operations. An 
ounce of prevention is said to be better than a pound 
of cure, and we therefore give the following recipe 
for a preventive, that has been used with marked 
success in Germany and other localities where the 
trichinae has prevailed : 



236 Imitation (framings. 

Take three parts of salt, two of pulverized sulphur, and One of 
copperas — give to the swine twice a week in their slops. 

To Cure Hog Cholera. 

By some, the hog cholera has been pronounced 
nothing more nor less than the active developement 
of the trichinae, but that is probably a mistake. The 
following is an almost certain remedy for the hog 
cholera: 

10 grains of calomel, 10 grains of copperas, and 10 drops of.spir- 
its of turpentine ; to be given with slops if the diseased hog is 
able to eat ; if otherwise, drench him. 

Sore Throat in Swine. 

Take ley, the same as is used for making soap, put it into an 
iron kettle, which place over the fire, and heat it the same as you 
do to make soap, then stir into it wheat bran, till it is as thick as 
mush, and when cool give it to the hogs in their trough, and they 
will eat it greedily, and it will effect a sure cure. Sometimes a 
second dose will be necessary, on the third day after taking the 
first. 

Oak Graining. 

The following formula for oak graining may be of 
service to somebody : 

Take equal parts of raw and burned terra and senna, also about 
as much whiting finely ground in oil ; then tone to a nice shade 
with raw and burnt umber. This must depend upon the tint de- 
sired and the color of the ground work. Also, break up finely a 
small piece of soap or beeswax, and mix thin for use, with equal 
parts of boiled and raw oil and turpentine. 

Imitation Mahogany - 

Black walnut furniture may be stained to imitate 

mahogany in the following way : 

With a rag tacked to a stick, apply aquafortis and heat it in by 
the stove or in the hot sun. A brush would soon be destroyed by 
the aquafortis. 

Fancy tables, stands, lounges, etc., may in this 
way be gi\en every appearan ce of solid mahogany. 



Oil-Pinished Puniiture. 237 

Rosewood Imitation. 

A beautiful imitation of rosewood may be obtained 
hy the application of the following preparation : 

Take alcohol 1 gallon, camwood 2 pounds ; let them stand in 
a warm place 24 hours, then add 3 ounces extract of logwood, 1 
ounce aqua fortis. When dissolved it is ready for use. Put on 
one or more coats according to taste. 

For the dark streaks or grains apply in waves the 

following : 

Put vinegar upon iron turnings or chippings and let it stand a 
few hours, when it is ready for use. Apply with a comb made of 
thinnish India rubber, with teeth about >£ an inch long, and cut 
close together or further apart as desired. A little practice will 
make an excellent imitation. 

To Remove Stains or Mildew from Furniture 
T{ie following will be found an excellent prepara- 
tion for renovating old furniture or for refurbishing 
new furniture that has become dusty and a little faded. 

Take best alcohol % pint, gum shellac and rosin each }{ oui?ce, 
pulverized. After these are cut in the alcohol, add ^ pint lin- 
seed oil. Shake well and apply with a brush, cotton tlannel, or 
an old newspaper, rubbing it thoroughly after the application. 

OiI-F!ni§hcd Furniture. 

Unvarnished and unpainted furniture is every day 
coming into more general use. The following meth- 
od of finishing will be found to be very nice : 

Take boiled linseed oil and give the furniture a coat with a 
brush ; then immediately sprinkle best dry whiting upon it and 
rub in well with a brush that is worn rather short and stiff, or with 
your hand, all over the surfae*. The whiting absorbs the oil, and 
the pores of the wood are lilled with a perfect coat of putty. 

The whiting should be mixed with the least bit of 
paint for different kinds of wood — burned umber for 
black walnut, Venetian red for cherry ; beech or ma- 
ple will require ajess quantity of red. Only enough 



238 fc> Cut Glass. 

coloring is to be used to make the whiting the color 
of the wood that you wish to finish. 

Furniture Varnish. 

When black walnut or mahogany colored furni- 
ture becomes discolored 01* damaged, any one may at 
a very small cost " shine it up," as good ag new"* 

Take a few cents worth of burnt umber and India red. For 
•^-OJiuJ CdCr, ®1X Indian red with copal varnish till the right 
color is secured ; thin with benzine, and add a little boiled linseed 
oil, if it dries faster than is desirable. For black walnut color, 
mix both ingredients in such proportions as are necessary. 

Solvents for Gum Shellac. 

It is frequently desirable to dissolve gum shellac 
without the use of alcohol. The following will be 
found to answer the purpose ; 

Heat 13^ pounds of shellac in 1 gallon rain water until the gum 
is soft and stringy, then add 1 pound saleratus, which will cut 
the gum and render the compound clear. This is used by some 
furniture dealers under the name of M light varnish." Liquor am- 
monii caustici (spirits of hartshorn) will dissolve shellac easily, 
within a few hours. 

To Renew Faded Paint. 

Take of boiled linseed oil 1 quart, Spanish drying, 2 gill», and 
lay on with a brush. The old colors will be brought omt as bright 
as new. 

To Cut G-lass- 

It frequently happens that chemists and others 

wish to utilize «omc bottle or piece of broken glass 

apparatus, by cutting it in a certain manner. As 

flrtr _. ' ^oerience jrreat difficulties in doing 

some persons c A . 6 . 6 

thim „™ • , xf -, " n £ simple means by which 
tnia, we insert the follow. ^ J 

glass can be cut in any diction i 

dissolve one fourth of In Srac?^f fl„2 lddlin § thick P***, 

* the least po^e ^SS^VS^S^Pt^ 



Artificial Entries. 289 

tions thoroughly and add to this a sufficient quantity of finely- 
powdered beech- wood charcoal to form a doughy mass a little 
thinner than pill compositions. Out of the above mass roll little 
sticks about four inches long and three lities thick, and let them 
dry spontaneously. If, after being thoroughly dried, one of th^se 
sticks is ignited, it burns to a fine point until it is entirely con- 
sumed. . . 
The glass to be cut is first scratched deeply with a diamond, 
then one of the above sticks is ignited and held, with a very slight 
pressure, on the crack, in the direction the cut is to proceed, and 
it will be found that the cut will follow ib any direction the taper 
may be drawn. The taper must be withdrawn every few seconds 
and brought to a more lively burn by brisk blowing, as it is cooled 
by the contact with the glass. 

Artificial Rubies, 

It is not expected that the patrons of this book 
will set up the manufacture of artificial precious 
stones, nevertheless rubies made after the following 
formula would be fully as precious as those made in 
Nature's crucible : 

A mixture of fluoride of aluminium with a small quantity of flu- 
oride of chromium is placed in an earthen crucible which has been 
lined with calcined alumina. In the center of this crucible, in 
the middle of the mixture of fluorides, is placed a small platinum 
crucible, containing boracic acid. The outer crucible, being well 
covered, is exposed to a heat sufficient to volatilize the boracic 
acid and the fluorides. The vapor of the boracic acid decompo- 
ses the fluorides, forming the fluoride of baron, and depositing 
crystals of the mixed oxyde of aluminium and chromium. If the 
fluorides be mixed in the right proportions, these crystals will 
have the same composition, color, luster, specific gravity, and 
other properties as natural rubies. 

Artificial Ivory. 

The most successful imitation of natural ivory is 
obtained by the following process ; 

Dissolve either india rubber or gutta percha in chloroform, pass 
chlorine through the solution until it has acquired a light yellow 
tint; next wash well with alcohol, and add in a fine powder, eith- 
er sulphate of baryta, sulphate of lime, sulphate of lead, alumi- 
na, or chalk, in quantity proportioned to the desired density, and 
tint; knead well and finally subject to heavy pressure. A very 
tough product, capable of taking a very high polish, is obtained 
ki this way. 



240 Diamond Cement. 

Diamond Cement. 

Jewellers of Turkey, who are mostly Armenians, 
have a singular method of ornamenting watch cases, 
etc., with diamonds and other precious stones, by 
simply glueing or cementing them on. The stone 
is set in silver or gold, and the lower part of the met- 
al made flat, or to correspond with the part to which 
it is to be fixed ; it is then warmed gently and 
the glue applied, which is so very strong that the 
parts so cemented never separate. This glue which 
is also highly esteemed for uniting pieces of broken 
glass, for repairing precious stones and cementing 
them to watch cases and other ornaments, is made 
as follows : 

Dissolve five or six bits of gum mastic, each the size of a large 
pea, in as much spirits of -wine as will render it liquid; and in an- 
other vessel, dissolve as much isinglass, previously a little soft- 
ened in water, (though none of the water must be used) in French 
brandy or good rum, as will make a two-ounce vial of very strong 
glue, adding two small bits of gum albanum, or ammoniacum, 
which must be rubbed or ground till they are dissolved. Then 
mix the whole with a sufficient heat. Keep the glue in a closely 
stopped vial, and, when it is to be used, set the vial in boiling 
water. 

Persons have sold a composition under the name 
of Armenian cement both in England and this coun- 
try, of bad quality and at most exhorbitant prices. 
It is generally made much too thin, and the quanti- 
ty of mastic too small. The following are good pro- 
portions : 

Isinglass, soaked iu water and dissolved in spirit, 2 ounces 
(thick) ; dissolve in this 10 grains of very pale gum ammoniac (in 
tears,) by rubbing them together; then add 6 large tears of gum 
jnastie, dissolved in the least possible cmantity of rectified spirits. 



Cements. 241 

Isinglass, dissolved in proof spirit, as above, 3 ounces; bottoms 
of mastic varnish (thick but clear), 1>£ ounces; mix well. 

When carefully made this cement resists moisture 
and dries colorless. 

To Mend Crockery. 

The following is a convenient and cheap preparat- 
ion for mending crockery and glass ware ; 

Take finely sifted fresh lime and the white of an egg ; mix it to 
the consistency of soft putty. Apply it to the edges, press firmly 
together, and immediately immerse it in hot water. Remove the 
surplus immediately, as'it soon becomes as hard as the earthen, 
or glass itself. The more it is heated the firmer it becomes. Sift 
the lime through a piece of millinet. 

Cement for Steam Boilers. 

The following preparation will be found conveni- 
ent for stopping leakages in steam boilers : 

Mix 2 parts of litharge (oxide of lead) with 1 part very fine sand 
and 1 part quicklime, slacked spontaneously by exposure to the 
air. This mixture may he kept any length of time without inju- 
ry. In using it a portion is mixed into paste with boiled linseed 
oil, when it must be quickly applied, as it soon becomes hard. 

Rubber Cement. 

A good cement for the soles of shoes, rubber shoes 
&c, is made as follows : 

Take shreds of India rubber or gutta percha and dissolve them 
In refined turpentine or good naptha. Apply to the soles of boots 
and shoes to make them water-proof. 

Marine Glue. 

The following preparation makes the strongest ce- 
ment for wood known. Two pieces of wood joined 
with it can scarcely be sundered — it will be as easy 
to break the wood as the joint. 

Dissolve 4 |iarts of India rubber in 34 parts of coal tar naptha— 
; aiding the solution with heat and agitation. The solution is then 
thick^aa cream, and it should be added to 64 parts pow -^m 

shellac, which mubt be heated in the mixture until aP 



242 Cements 

ed. While the mixture is hot, pour it on plates of metal in sheets 
] 'i'e leather. It can be kept in that state, and v.'hen required for 
use put into a kettle and beat till it is soft, then apply with a 
brush to the surfaces to be joined. 

Another Cement. 

The following makes a good cement for the joints 

of pretroleum stills : 

Take 6 pounds graphite (black lead), 3 pounds dry slacked 
lime, 8 pounds sulphate of barytes and 3 pounds linseed oil, and 
mix them thoroughly together. The solid material must be re- 
duced to a fine powder before being stirred into the linseed oil.— 
More oil may be added to make the cement sufficiently thin if 
necessaiy. 

For Attaching Ornaments to Wood. 

The following preparation makes a good cement 
for attaching architectural ornaments of various kinds 
to wood. 

Take glue, chalk and paper pulp, equal parts and form into a 
cement. Or fme-sifted chalk and beeswax. Use equal parts of 
resin and wax, melt them and add the chalk until the composi- 
tion attains the proper consistency. 

A strong solution of glue and whiting makes a good cement for 
ivory. 

Cement for Leather Belts. 

A strong solution of isinglass makes the best cement for join- 
ing leather bands. It may be kept from becoming mouldy by ad- 
ding to it some whiskey and a little of the essential oil of cloves, 
or a little camphorated spirits. 

Cement for Brick Walls. 

Bricks, being very porous, absorb moisture free- 
ly, and hence brick walls when exposed to long and 
severe rain storms, frequently become penetrated so 
as to dampen the plaster inside, which renders the 
room damp and unhealthy, besides injuring the walk 
The best water proof composition that can be used 
to prevent this, is a mixture of hydraulic cement and 
boiled linseed oil. 



Cements, 245 

Cheap Prepared Glue, 

Dissolve common glue in cider vinegar, as thick as may be 
wanted. As it becomes too thick from time to time add a little 
vinegar. 

The above will be found as good as Spaulding's 
or any other prepared glue that can be purchased. 

Cement for Rooms. 

The following process will be found superior to 
any other hard finish for parlors, etc. : 
Mix the oxide of zinc with size made up like a wash, and a 



to a wall, ceiling or wainscot. Afterward mix the chloride of zinc 
in the same way, with which give a second coating. The oxide 
and chloride immediately combine and form a kind of cement, 
smooth and polished as glass, and possessing the advantages of 
oil paint, yet without any objectionable smell. 

White Cement. 

The following simple preparation will make a ce- 
ment for statuary, china, glass or alabaster that will 
stand most any ordinary amount of washing, even 
in hot water, though we will not say that it cannot 
be soaked soft. 

Dissolve best Russian isinglass in pure soft water, by letting it 
soak 12 hours to soften, then apply a moderate heat" until it i s 
fully dissolved; it is then ready for use. 

Another. 

The following recipe has been sold about the coun- 
try for from 25 cents to $5. KightJy made of good 
materials, it may be kept on hand ready for use, and 
is a very convenient preparation : 

Dissolve 1 pound and 10 ounces best white glue in the usual 
way, by heating in a kettle or dish set in hot water, then add 6 
ounces of dry white lead, and boil until they are thoroughly mix- 
ed. Remove from the fire and when partially cool, add 1 pint of 
alcohol, bottle and keep corked. 



244 To Preserve Timber. 

Convenient Paste. 

The following recipe will be found convenient for 
everybody. It is just the thing you want if you are 
making a scrap book: 

Tfike common glue 4 ounces and dissolve it as above, and add 
4 ounces pulverized alum; mix 1 teaspoonful flour in a little wa- 
ter; stir it in and boil. When nearly cool stir in 2teaspoonfu]s 
oil of lavender, and it is ready for use. Keep tightly covered 
when not in use. 

Cracks in Wooden Furniture. 

Season cracks, etc., in wooden furniture may be 
filled up and obliterated with the following prepara- 
tion. 

Moisten a piece of recently burnt lime with enough water to 
make it fall into powder; mix one part of the slacked lime with 
two parts of rye flour, and a sufficient quantity of boiled linseed 
oil to form it into a thick plastic mass. 

To Preserve Timber. 

Timber for various purposes may be preserved a 
long time by the application of the following prep- 
aration : 

Take equal parts by weight of flour of sulphur and linseed Ail 
and mix them thoroughly, and then add 12 per cent, of the oxide 
of manganese. The timber is rendered impervious to moisture. 

New Oak Barrels. 

The following method will effectually prevent new 
oaken barrels from coloring spirits or anything. 

Dissolve 1 part of ammonia alum and 2 parts of sulphate of iron 
in 97 parts water. Wash well the casks with this solution, boil- 
ing hot, and *llow them to stand 24 hours. Then rinse out the 
casks well and dry them, and finally give them a washing with a 
thin solution of silicate of soda. 

Camphor Storm Glass. 

Dealers in philosophical and optical instruments 
sell simple storm-glasses, which are used for the pur- 



Varnish for Wood Patterns. ; 215 

pose of indicating approaching storms. One of these 
consists of a glass tube, about ten inches in length 
and three-fourths of an inch in diameter, filled with 
a liquid containing camphor, and having its mouth 
covered with a piece of bladder perforated with a 
needle. A tall phial will answer the purpose nearly 
as well as a ten-inch tube. 

The composition placed within the tube consists of 2 drachms 
of camphor, % a drachm of pure saltpetre, and % a drachm of 
muriate of ammonia, pulverized and mixed with about 2 ounces 
of proof spirits. The tube is usually suspended by a thread near 
a window, and the functions of its contents are as follows : If 
the atmosphere is dry and the weather promises to be settled, 
the solid parts of the camphor in the liquid contained in the tube 
will remain at the bottom, and the liquid above will be quite 
clear; but on the approach of a change to rain, the solid matter 
will gradually rise, and small crystalline stars will float about in 
the liquid. On the approach of hnjrh winds, the solid parts of the 
camphor will rise in the form of leaves, and appear near the sur- 
face in a 6tate resembling fermentation. These indications are 
sometimes manifested twenty -four hours before a storm breaks 
out. 

After some experience in observing the motions of 
the camphor matter in the tube, the magnitude of a 
coming storm may be estimated ; also its direction, 
insomuch as the particles lie closer together on that 
side of the tube that is opposite to that from which 
the coming storm will approach. The cause of some 
of these indications is as yet unknown ; but the lead- 
ing principle is the solubility of camphor in alcohol, 
and its insolubility in water, combined with the fact 
that the dryer the atmosphere, the more aqueous va- 
por does it take up ; and vice versa. 

Varnish for Wood Patterns. 

The following, which is the most simple and at 



246 Varnieli for Iron Work 

the same time best adapted to the purpose, will be 
found of special interest to moulders, furnace men 
and pattern-makers. 

Take 1 quart of alcohol and % pound of guui shellac; put into 
a bottle and when dissolved it is ready for use. When wanted 
for application, mix with a little turpentine to about the thick- 
ness of cream, and varnish the pattern over, rubbing it into the 
grain of the wood, until a slight friction produces a polish. 

The above \arnish makes a smooth surface on the 
pattern, rendering it more easily drawn from the 
sand, and it fills up all pores or worm holes that may 
be in the wood, consequently a cleaner and smooth- 
er casting is produced. 

Varnish for Iron Work. 

The following preparation forms one of the finest 
black varnishes for iron work in use. 

Fuse 1 pound of amber in an iron vessel, and while hot add 1 
quart of linseed oil and 3 ounces each of dark rosin and asphal- 
tum in powder. When the whole is thoroughly incorporated, 
take it off, and when cool add 1 pint of turpentine. Several coats 
of this varnish are put on, and the articles are dried after each 
application in a warm oven. 

Here is another recipe for the same purpose : 

Take 8 pounds asphaltum, fuse it in an iron kettle and add 5 
gallons of linseed oil, 1 pound of litharge, and % pound sulphate 
of zinc. Add these (slowly or it will fume over), and boil them 
for 3 hours. Now add Impounds of dark gum-amber and boil 2 
hours longer, or until the mass will become quite thick when 
cool, after which it should be thinned with turpentine to due con- 
sistency. 

Crystal Varnish. 

The following will be found an excellent varnish 
for maps, prints, drawings and also to prepare tra- 
cing paper and to transfer engravings : 

Mix equal parts of genuine pale Canada balsam and rectified 
oil of turpentine. Place the bottle in warm water, shake it well, 






To Kenew Faded Bkok Clothe. S47 

and set it aside for a week in a moderately warm place; then ponr 
oil the clear. 

To Revive Faded Black Cloths. 

Worn and faded black clothes may be revived and 
made to look as good as new by the process below : 

Boil two or three ounces of logwood in vinegar, and when the 
color is extracted, drop in a piece of carbonate of iron, which js 
of the same nature as rust of iron, as large as a chestnut ; let it 
boil. Have the coat or pantaloons well sponged with soap and 
hot water, laying them on a table, and brush the nap down with 
a sponge. Then take the dye upon the table, and sponge them 
all over with the dye, taking care to keep them smooth and to 
brush downward. " When completely wet with dye, dissolve a 
teaspoonful ol'saleratus in warm water, and sponge all over with 
this, and it sets the color so completely that nothing rubs off.— 
They must not be wrung or wrinkled, but carefully hung up. to 
drain. The brownest cloth may be made a perfect black in this 
simple manner. 

Bosoms and Collars. 

The following directions will enable the most or- 
dinary ironer to make her clothes look as if just from 

the hands of the manufacturer : 

Pour a pint of boiling Avater upon two ounces of gum arabic, 
cover it and let it stand over night; in the morning pour it care- 
fully from the dregs into a clean bottle, cork it and keep it for 
future use. A table spoonful of this gum arabic water stirred in a 
pint of sfarch made in the usual manner will give to lawns, eith- 
er white or printed, a look ot newness, when nothing else can re- 
store them after they have been washed. To every pint of starch 
add a piece of tallow or spermaceti candle the size of a chestnut. 

Colored Starch. — Green, pink, buff, and mauve 
starch is now made, and by its aid any delicate fab- 
ric may be colored as well as stiffened. The same 
garment can be made to assume a different tint as 
often as desired. 

Fire Proof Ladies' Dresses. 

The finest linen, cotton, cambric or muslin dress- 
es may be rendered perfectly fire-proof at a mere nom- 



248 To Keep Tires on Wheel*. 

inal cost, by steeping in a diluted solution of chloride 
of zinc. 

Fire Proof Shingles. 

Shingle roofs may be rendered fire proof under or- 
dinary circumstances, by the following process : 

Take j^ a bushel of lime, ~% a bushel of refuse salt, and 5 
pounds of potash, and water enough to slake the lime and dis- 
solve the alkali and salt. Mix these up in an old trough or box. 
Then set a bundle of shingles into the mixture, nearly up to the 
bands, leaving ihem soaking for full two hours. Then turn over 
the bunch and put in the other side for the same length of time. 
As exposure to rain and sunshine will, in time, take out the 
strength of thia mixture, it should be applied fresh once in 3 or 4 
years. 

To Keep Tires on Wheels. 

If the felloes of wagon wheels are filled with lin- 
seed oil before the tires are put on, they will not get 
loose for several years. This is a recipe that will 
not particularly interest blacksmiths and wagon ma- 
kers, but farmers and teamsters will rind it to their 
interest to make use of it. Tires thus put on will 
wear out without coming loose. 

Take an iron trough or heater (one of cast iron made for the 

Purpose is best); fill with linseed oil, and bring to a boiling heat. 
he wheel is then placed on a stick, so as to hang each felloe in 
the oil. The timber must be dry and care must be taken that the 
oil be no hotter than boiling heat, or the wood will be scorched. 
Timber filled with oil is not susceptible to water, and there can 
therefore be no swelling or shrinking, and the timber is rendered 
more durable. 

Care of Stoves and Pipes 

When stoves are no longer needed, they are quite 
frequently set aside in an out building, or other out- 
of-the-way place, with no further thought until again 
wanted for use. If neglected, the rust of the sum- 




Soot in Chimneys. 249 

jure tl tl wl - 1 

. t . >et iron. 

They should be kept as free from dampness as possible, and oc- 
casionally cleaned if rust be observed. It is best to apply a coat- 
ing of linseed oil to the pipes before putting them away. It 
should be done while they are warm (not hot) and keep a low 
temperature 5 or 6 hours. This is said to impart a fine lustre, and 
prevent rusting. 

To Harden Lard for Candles. 

It frequently happens that you have plenty of 
lard and no tallow, and you want a few candles for 
a special purpose. By the following method you 
may make good hard candles out of lard : 

Put 8 pounds of lard into a 2 gallon kettle, or one so large that 
it won't boil over; heat it so that it will sputter a little wheu a 
drop of water is dropped in, then set it out doors, and pour in 1 
ounce of nitric acid, and stir it until it is done boiling. It must 
be run or moulded. Mixing in a little tallow will make them 
come out of the molds readily, as tallow shrinks more than lard 
when cold 

To Prevent the Accumulation of Soot in Chim- 
neys. 

Half the fires of the country are occasioned by de- 
fects in chimneys indirectly, and directly by their 
" burning out," or the accumulated soot catching fire 
and burning the entire length of the chimney. Then 
if there is any crack or crevice in the chimney it is 
found out, and a conflagration frequently the conse- 
quence. By pursuing the following course in build- 
ing chimneys, all that risk may be avoided. 

In building a chimney put a quantity of salt into the mortar 
with which the interstices of brick are to be laid. The effect 
will be that there will never be any accumulation of soot in that 
chimney. The philosophy is thus stated : The salt in the por- 
tion of mortar which is exposed, absorbs moisture every damp 
day. The soot thus becoming damp falls down the fireplace. 

E3 



250 To Prevent Smut in Wheat 

To Prevent Smut in "Wheat. 

The following plan has been followed by several 
of our most successful farmer's, and always with the 
happiest results. Our friend Henry Williams fol- 
lowed this plan for preparing his seed for two or 
three years, and while his neighbors were troubled 
with smut in their wheat, his was not affected : 

Take 1 pound of blue vitriol in 5 gallons of water as a soak for 
seed wheat to prevent rust. The grain is soaked in it an hour and 
sowed immediately. The usual practice is to soak the seed in 
strong brine, and use about a % of a pound of blue vitriol, (sul- 
phate of copper) to 5 gallons of brine. After the seed has been in 
this pickle for several hours, it is spread on a floor, rolled in dry 
slacked lime, and sowed as soon as practicable. The brine floats 
off all the light seed and also aids the copper salt in killing the 
smut. 

To Change Photographs or Lithographs into 
Oil Paintings on ©lass. 

The following has been sold for $2, $3, and even 

$5. For those who have the leisure and the taste, 

it will be worth all they pay for the book. 

Take common window glass the size of your picture, and tack 
it in the frame firmly, and clean it well, then give the glass one 
coat of white deraar varnish ; (make the varnish thin with turpen- 
tine before using,) and put the glass away after being varnished, 
twenty four hours where it will be free from dust. If your pic- 
ture is of thick paper, sand-paper the back of it until it becomes 
very thin ; when the glass is perfectly dry, use the following rec- 
ipe for making the picture adhere to the glass : 

Take one pint of balsam of fir to a half pint of turpentine ; put 
them in a bottle and shake them well together until thoroughly 
mixed. Give the glass a heavy coat of the balsam mixture on the 
varnished side of the glass ; then place the picture on with the 
face side down, then press the back of the picture with your fin-. 
gers until it adheres firmly to the glass, and becomes perfectly 
free from spots on the face of the picture. After you have done 
this put the picture away until it dries, where it will be free from 
dust. 

The balsam mixture must be applied with a flat camel's hair 
brush two inches wide. Brushes for painting the pictures in oil 
colors, artist's round camel's hair brushes with long handles. 

DIRECTIONS FOR PAINTING THE PICTURES. 

Paint the daxk part ot Uie eye first, as you may i&ncy, dark er 



Oil Paintin gs on Glass. 251 

or blue ; then color the cheeks and lips ; and a^ter the dark part 
of the eye is dry, paint the white part, and color the dress to suit 
your taste ; but whatever part of the dress you want to he white, 
you must paint first, and the gold ornaments with yellow paint ; 
also give the picture three coats of paint of every color you use, 
letting each coat dry well separatelv, leaving the flesh color un- 
til the last, letting the picture dry well before applying it, and 
give it three separate coats of paint. 

PAINTS FOR COLORING- THE PICTURES. 



For Blue — Prussian Blue. 
For Yellow— Chrome Yellow. 
For White— Silver White. 



For Red — Chinese Vermillion. 
For Green — Chrome Green. 
For Black — Ivory Black. 

Flesh Color— Red, Yellow; with White. 

Black Hair — Vandyke Brown. 

Gray Hair— White, Black and Yellow Ochre. 

Light Hair— Yellow Ochre, White and Vandyke Brown. 

Black Eyes— Pupil, Black, Iris, Vandyke Brown. 

Brown— Red and Black. 

Blue Eyes— Pupil, Black, Iris, Blue and White. 

White of Eye -White tinted with Blue. 

Complexion — White tinted with Vermillion. 

Lips — Vermillion and White. 

Drapery : Dress — Any color you choose. 

Foliage : Deep Green— Prussian Blue and Yellow Ochre. 

Foliage: Medium— Prussian Blue and Chrome Yellow. 

Water— White tinted with Blue. 

Sky— White tinted with Blue and Vermillion. 

Mahogany — India Red, Vermillion and Vandyke Brown. 

Silver, Marble, Steel and Glass— White tinted with Black. 

Stone — Yellow Ochre or Vandyke Brown and White. 

Straw— King's Yellow and White. 

Gold— Kings Yellow. 

Grape or Purple— Blue, Scarlet Lake and White. 

Lire — Vermillion and Chrome Yellow. 

Brick — Indian Red. 

Oak— Yellow Ochre, Vermillion and White. 

All the colors must be ground in oil, and used in demar varnish 
and turpentine for drying the paints. Use a small picture to be- 
gin with until you get into practice. 

For making a lighter shade of color, put one drop of your light 
paint into the dark paint, and add it by drops until it becomes 
the shade you may want. 



Brass Coating. 

Brass plates and rods may be covered with a superficial coating 
of brass, by exposing them in a heated state to the fumes of melt- 
ed zinc at a high temperature. The celebrated spurious gold wire 
of Lyons, is thus made. Vesselo of copper may be coated with 
brass, internally, by filling them with water strongly acidulated 
with muriatic acid, adding some amalgam of zinc and cream of 
tttfur, and then boiling for a short time. 



252 To Make Burning Fluid. 

To Make Burning ] 

Tlie following is a formula for making common 
burning fluid. Kerosene has been brought to such 
perfection and is furnished so cheap that it has al- 
most superceded burning fluid, still there are cases 
where it is necessary or more convenient to use the 
latter. 

Dissolve 1 ounce gum camphor in three gallons alcohol, and add 
1 gallon camphene, and shake till they are well mixed. 

Many persons suppose that camphene is an explo- 
sive burning fluid, but this is a mistake. Cam- 
phene is simply rectified spirits of turpentine. Its 
vapor, mixed with a certain portion of air is, no 
doubt explosive, but not the fluid. 
Water and Weed Proof Garden Walks. 

There is so greater nuisance to the amateur gar- 
dener than muddy and weedy walks. To keep the 
walks in anything like a presentable condition is near- 
ly as much work as all the rest of the garden. Walks 
made after the folic wing plan will do away with all 
that work : 

Procure a sufficient quantity of the best Portland cement ; then 
turn up the path with a pick, and mix six parts, by measure, of 
clean screened gravel with three of sharp .-and, and one of cem- 
ent ; tb'-n work them thoroughly with the .spade in the dry state. 
Now add sufficient water to make them into a paste simitar to 
stiff mortar, and lay it down on the -walk, on a hard bottom to 
:i ■ ipth of two inches. It is spread with a spade, and the walk 
made with a slight curve, rising in the middle. In forty-eight 
hours if become.-, as bard as. stone, and not a drop of water will 
pass through. Worms will not work through, nor a blade of grass 
grow upon" it. 

To Kill Woeds in V/alks. 

Those who do not wish to be to the trouble of 



To Destroy Fltes. 253 

a cheap method of ridding their walks oi i^eecLsi it 
is said to be certain-death to the weeds* and to flow- 
er borders as well, if the application is made : 

Take water 10 gallons, stone lime 20 pounds, and flour of sul- 
phur, 2 pounds. Mix and boil in an iron kettle. After settling, 
pour off the clear part and apply freely to the weedy walks. 

To Destroy Flies. 

Kitchens, Pantries, Dining Rooms, &c, may be 
kept clear of flies all summer, by the following meth- 
od, without the danger attending poison : 

To 1 pint milk add a quarter pound of raw sugar, and 2 ounces 
ground pepper ; simmer them together eight or ten minutes, and 
place it about in shallow dishes. ■ The flies attack it readily, and 
are soon suffocated. 

Dead Shot for Bugs, &c. . 

Powdered borax, sprinkled liberally in spots infested by bugs, 
cockroaches, &c, is said to be a dead" shot for them. The borate 
of soda is a sweet alkali that " charms (bugs) while it kills." 

To Exterminate Red Ants. 

The little red ant is a great nuisance If they 
once take possession of a dwelling, and find conven- 
ient refuge in the walls, it will take some time 
to exterminate them, but it can be done by either of 
the following methods, with patience and persever- 
ance : 

Procure two pieces of thin boards, say two feet long, ei,a;ht inch- 
es wide, and fasten two edges together with hinge *, so that they 
will close like the covers of a book. Spread a lLtle molasses on 
the under board, and as often as a few ants are seen on it, press 
the upper board down and crush them. In a lew days they can 
ail lie destroyed. Another way is to put some molasses into a 
milk pan, and place a piece of board against the side of it, so that 
they can a.-eend to the top of the pan. They are sure to tumble 
into the molasses, and cannot getout alone. Perhaps the follow- 
ing is a better way : — 



254 Sat Exterminator. 

Procure a large sponge, sprinkle a little sugar through it and 
place it near the haunts of ants. When a quantity of them have 
collected in the interstices they can be killed in hot water, the 
sponge dried baited, and set again. In this way whole armies of 
the ants can be readily destroyed. 

Rat Exterminator. 

There is no greater or more disgusting nuisance 
about a house than a multitude of rats. Anything 
that kills or frightens them away, is preferable to 
their presence. You will find the following a sure 
thing on them, and just as good, if not the same com- 
position as Costar's celebrated Rat Exterminator. 

Take flour, 3 pounds, and make into a thick paste with water ; 
then dissolve phosphorus 1 ounce, in >£ounee of butter, by heat, 
and mix with the paste. Spread on pieces of bread and leave it 
where the rats can get it ; or make it into balls covered with su- 
gar. Put in two ounces of pulverized tumeric, and put into a 
tightly covered box for future use or sale. 

Another. — Take warm water 1 quart, lard 2 pounds, phospho- 
rus 1 ounce. Mix and thicken with flour. 

To Drive Away Rats. 

Take pulverized potash and sprinkle liberally into their holes. 
The potash will bum their toes and they will soon look for a more 
congenial home. Potash exposed to the air will soon dissolve or 
soften into a paste, when it can be daubed on their run-ways. 

To Get rid of Flies and Insects. 

Chloride of lime scattered in the stable will drive away all kinds 
of flies, especially biting flies. Sprinkling beds of vegetables with 
a weak solution of chloride of lime, effectually preserves them 
from caterpillars, butterflies, mordella, slugs, &c. It has the 
same effect when sprinkled upon the foliage of fruit trees. A paste 
of one part lard and two parts powdered chloride of lime, placed 
in a narrow band around the trunk of a tree, will prevent insects 
from creeping up it. Rats and mice will soon quit places where 
chloride of lime has been spread. 

To Destroy Hop Lice. 

The extent to which the culture of hop* is being 
introduced in this country will be a sufficient excuse 
for inserting the following recipes for ridding hop 
vines of their most destructive enemy — hop lice : 



To Destroy Inaeots. 255 

Take soap suds, strong as left from an ordinary washing ; add 
saltpeter and salt enough to make it a weak brine, not too strong, 
as that might injure the plant ; then add one pound of copperas. 
Apply to the vines with a syringe, where they are not too high. 
If tall poles are used apply with a force pump. 

English Remedy. 

The following preparation is used successfully in 
England for the same purpose : 

Take 20 pounds coarse tobacco and soak it in 20 gallons of wa- 
ter three days. If the liquid is too thick, reduce it by adding 
water. Apply as above. 

This is the way it is used in England. It is said 
to be rendered more effectual by adding a little salt 
and copperas. 

To Destroy the Onion Fly. 

Many a promising bed of onions is destroyed by 
the small black onion fly. A farmer who has been 
successful in raising large crops of onions every year, 
while his neighbors have entirely failed, has pur- 
sued the following course: 

He destroys the maggot by pouring a small stream of boiling 
water along the drills near the roots of the plants. His theory 
is, that the ground is sufficiently heated to destroy the tender 
-maggot, but not warm enough to injure the onion plant. He goes 
over his bed four times during the season. 

Dr. O. W. Drew, of Waterbury, Vt, poured 
boiling hot water from a large tea-kettle directly up- 
on each row, when the plants were about four inch- 
es high. 

To Destroy Insects upon Fruit Trees. 

Science frequently comes to the aid of labor. It 
has been found that bark lice and many other insects 



256 Preservation of Leather. 



caloi ■ 

Bore a hole in the trunk of your fruit trees nearly through the 
sap — insert two or three grains of calomel and plug up the hole. 
The insects will die and drop off. 

Cheat the Bugs. 

A successful horticulturist gives his method of 
saving his squash, cucumber and melon vines as 
follows : 

Make boxes S to 10 inches high, open on two sides, and set them 
over the hills, as soon as the plants come up. The. bugs fly near 
the ground, and the plants are not seen by them, when within 
boxes as above described. After the viues get large and strong, 
the bugs can't hurt them. 

For the Preservation of Leather. 

The following is a French method for preserving 
all kinds of leather, and is especially adapted to 
boot?, shoes, harness leather and belting, and is said 
to insure great durability to leather, and to make it 
very pliable and soft. The preparation consists of 
tallow, soap, rosin and water, prepared as follows : 

21 parts of tallow are melted in a vessel, 3 parts of rosin added, 
and the two when melted, mixed well together. In another ves- 
sel, 7 parts of good washing soap are dissolved in 70 parts of pure 
rain water. After it is dissolved, and the mass heated to the 
boiling point, we add the 'part prepared before; let it boil once 
more gently, and the preparation is ready for use.' 

Iron Rust on "White Stuffs. 

The worst iron rust stains may be removed from 
linen and other white stuffs in this way: 

Dissolve oxalie acid in water ; spread in the sunlight and apply 
the acid to the spot, which will very soon disappear. It will re- 
move many other stains. 

Care should be taken to keep the acid in a safe 
place as it is an active poison, and the mixture must 



To Bemoye Ink Spots. 257 

not be too strong, or it will injure the fabric itself. 
It should be well washed out almost as soon as 
applied. 

Another. 

Here is another plan which has no dangerous 
points about it, and on that account is preferable, al- 
though it may not be quite so effective. 

Wash the cloth through one suds and rinse. While wet, rub 
ripe tomato juice on the spots. Expose it to hot sunshine until 
nearly dry, and wash in another suds. 

To Remove Ink Spots- 
Ink spots may be removed from white clothes in 
the following manner, and it must be done before the 
clothes are washed : 

Pick some tallow from the bottom of a clean mould candle, rub 
it hard on the ink-spots, aud leave it sticking there in bits until 
the next day or longer. Then let the articles be washed and 
boiled ; and if it be merely common ink, the stain will entirely 
disappear. Of course this remedy can only be used for white 
as colored clothes cannot be boiled without entirely fading them. 
We know it to be efficacious. The tallow must be rubbed on cold. 

Another Way. 

A most effective preparation for removing ink-spots 
may be made as follows : 

An ounce each of sal ammonia and salt of tartar, well mixed, 
must be put in a quart bottle, a pint of cold soft water be added 
to them, and the whole well shaken for a quarter of an hour. The 
bottle may be then filled with water, shaken a little longer and 
corked. Wet the marked linen effectually with this mixture, and 
repeat the process until the stain disappears. 

Still Anothek. — Ink spots may be removed if taken when 
fresh, by throwing over the spot plentifully, salt and pepper. 

Grease Spots in Woolen Cloth - 

The following is the cheapest and most effectual 
preparation for extracting grease from woolen cloth : 



258 Por Curing Meat. 

. Take liquid ammonia, one part, alcTJhol four parts, and mix 
with a quantity of water equal to the other two. Keep in a glass 
stoppered bottle. Apply with a piece of sponge, soaking the cloth 
thoroughly when the grease has remained any considerable time 
in the fabric. 

To Clean Ribbon s- 

Kibbons may be cleaned to advantage in the fol- 
lowing way : 

Wet the ribbon in alcohol, and fasten one end of it to something 
firm ; hold the other in your hand, keeping the ribbon out straight 
and smooth ; rub it with a piece of castile soap until it looks de- 
cidedly soapy, then rub hard with a sponge, or if much soiled, 
with the back of a knife, keeping the ribbon dripping wet with 
alcohol. When you have exhausted your patience, and think it 
must be clean, rinse thoroughly in alcohol, fold between cloths 
and iron with a hot iron. Don't wring the ribbon ; if you do, you 
will get creases in it that you cannot smooth out. 

To Purify Rancid Lard. 

An inquiry for a means of restoring rancid lard is 
frequently made. The following method has been 
proved to be reliable in all ordinary cases : 

Take 3 ounces of the chloride of soda, pour into a pail of soft 
water, bring to a boil and add the lard. After boiling thoroughly 
together lor an hour or two, set aside to cool. When cool take 
the lard off and boil it up by itself. The color will be restored to 
an alabaster white, and the lard rendered sweet as a rose. . 

Another Wat. — Put rancid lard, pot skimmings, or bacon fat 
into a kettle, and add three potatoes pared and sliced. Let them 
fry in the grease until they are browned. The grease or lard will 
be free fromall unpleasant, taste and suitable for shortening, or 
to fry doughnuts in, 

For Curing Meat. 

There is no part of a housekeeper's duty more im- 
portant than to be able to properly pack or cure the 
year's supply of beef and pork. The following rec- 
ipe may be implicitly relied on, and if properly tried 
will never be abandoned : 

To 1 gallon of water add \% pounds of salt, % pound sugar, }{ 
ounce saltpetre, ^ ounce potash. In this ratio the pickle to be 
increased to any desirable quantity. Let these be ©oiled together 



To Keep Beef. . 259 

until all the dirt from the sugar rises to the top and is skimmed 
off. Then throw it into a tub to cool, and when cold, pour it over 
your beef or pork, to remain the usual time, say four or rive weeks. 
The meat must be Avell covered with pickle, and should not be 
put down for at least two days after killing, during- which time it 
should be slightly sprinkled with powdered saltpetre, which re- 
moves all the surface blood, &c, leaving the meat fresh and clean. 
Some omit boiling the pickle, and find it to answer well, though 
the operation of boiling purifies the pickle by throwing off the 
dirt always to be found in salt and sugar. If this recipe is prop- 
erly tried*, it will never be abandoned. There is none that sur- 
passes it, if so good. 

Another. 

Here is another plan that is highly spoken of by 
those who have tried it, and we have no hesitation 
in commending it to the patrons of this book : 

To each 100 pounds of beet, take 6 pounds of salt, 1 pound of 
sugar, 2 ounces of soda and 3 gallons of water. Mix together in 
a large kettle and place it over the fire, letting it remain until it 
boils ; take off the scum and let cool ; pour it over the meat, which 
should be placed in a light cask or barrel, until the meat is en- 
tirely covered; If there is not enough pickle to cover the meat, 
add a little more water ; but the above amount will be sufficient, 
if the meat is properly packed. Beef put down in pickle, pressed 
as above, will retain its former freshness, and will be as sweet and 
juicy for a month afterwards, as when first put away. 



To Keep Beef- 

The following is called by many the best method 
for keeping beef. By this method farmers can have 
fresh meat nearly all the time. Try it. 

Cut up the meat in pieces as large as you desire. Pack it in a" 
barrel or cask. Then make a brine as follows : \% pounds salt, 
1 gallon water, 1 ounce saltpetre to 100 pounds beef. Put in the 
6alt and saltpetre and heat it boiling hot, skim it, then add black 
pepper. Pour it on the beef boiling hot and cover closely. Your 
meat will be good and fresh any time. The philosophy is this — 
the hot brine closes the pores on the surface, preventing decay 
and the meat from getting too salt. 

Another Good Way. — Cut it in slices ready to broil or fry for 
the table. Then put down in a jar one laying of meat, sprinkle 
with salt and pepper, and so continue till the jar is filled ; cover 
closely and set in the coolest part of the cellar. It will keep a 
long time. 



260 ■ To Cure and Keep Hams, 

To Cure And Keep Hams. 

There is nothing in the meat line more universally 
esteemed, whether fried with eggs or boiled and eat- 
en cold, or used for sandwiches, than sweet, juicy, 
rightly smoked ham. One who has long been noted 
tor furnishing the best hams we have ever eaten, al- 
ways pursued the following method in curing, smok- 
ing and preserving them : 

Unless the weather is warm so that they are liable to taint, all 
hams should lie and shrink at least three days after being cut and 
trimmed. Then weigh ; add for each pound of meat one ounce 
of saltpetre, and add to it a brine so strong that no more salt will 
dissolve in it, the brine having been first scalded. About twenty 
days will be the medium length of the time that the hams should 
remain submerged in the brine — five days more for large, and five 
less for small ones. Then lay out and let them drain for three 
days before hanging in the smoke-house. Having been sufficient- 
ly smoked, wipe off clean all soot,cobwebs and^dirt, and then rub 
thoroughly over the hams a mixture made pretty thick of ground 
black pepper and litharge; made liquid by three times the weight 
of common neat's foot glue dissolved in water. Hang them up in 
any cool, dry place — no fly, worm or bug will ever molest them, 
and your hams thus prepared will keep sound a century if not 
sooner eaten. 

Another Plan. 

The following is the celebrated "Knickerbocker 

Pickle," for curing hams : 

For 100 pounds of meat take 6 gallons of water, 9 pounds of 
salt, 3 pounds of sugar, 1 quart of molasses, 3 ounces of saltpetre, 
1 ounce of saleratus. Place the whole in a kettle, and bring to a 
boiling heat, and skim of all impurities as it begins to boil : and 
when cold, pour it over the meat, after being closely packed. — 
Pickle as long as you please, from November to March, and the 
meat if not over-heated and spoiled in smoking, will keep through 
the summer in good condition, and only seasoned to the tastes of 
most palates. 

Still Another. 

The following is the southern method, and has ta- 
ken the premium over all others at several southern 
State Fairs : 



Boiling Meats. 261 

To 150 pounds of ham take 1% ounces saltpetre, 4 quarts fine 
salt, with enough molasses to make paste ; rub well on the flesh 
side ; let it lie four weeks ; then hang and smoke two days before 
removing from the smoke-house ; rub with black pepper and 
strong vinegar after which bag them. 

Another Plan, 

It is said there is safety in a multitude of counsel- 
lors ; we therefore give one more method for curing 

hams : 

Take of rock salt 9 pounds, saltpetre 6 ounces, molasses 3 pints, 
for 100 pounds of meat. 

To Clean Tripe. 

Though many people have an antipathy to this 
article, some think it a great luxury — a rare tit-bit 
— and for the benefit of such we give the following : 

In removing the stomach, be careful to keep the outside clean. 
Shake the contents well out through a small hole, and put in a 
quantity of unslaked lime about the size of a coffee cup, with 
about 2 gallons of water. Place it in a tub of water and agitate 
15 or 20 minutes, or until the lime is well slaked. A slight scra- 
ping will then remove the inside skin. The slaking lime takes 
out all odor, and makes the tripe nice and soft. After cutting up 
and washing well, it is ready for boiling, and may then be pickled 
in vinegar, or kept in salt water, to be changed daily and cooked 
like souse, or broiled like steak, buttered and peppered ; or dip- 
ped in batter and fried. 

Boiling Meats. 

The following remarks on the subject of boiling 
meats, are so sensible, and calculated to mitigate the 
dry, tasteless stuff that we frequently have put be- 
fore us as a part of the "boiled pot," that we give 
it a place among our most valuable recipes : 

Never put meats in cold water, but plump them into that which 
is boiling briskly. Thi* will coagulate the albumen on the out- 
side, close the pores, and prevent the water from soaking out the 
rich juices. If salted meats need freshening, let it be previously 
done with cold water,takingall needed time, with frequent chang- 
ing of the water, if it is very salt. Tough, cheap pieces of beef, 
ean h« wade-tender and palatable, a<* follows : If salt, freshen as 



262 To Sweeten Rancid Butter. 

above. Put into the pot with a trifle more water than "will he fi- 
nally needed. Set into the top of the cooking; pot a closely fitting 
tin pail or pan, and fill it with cold water. It* this gets boiling 
hot, dip out some and add cold water from time to time. Boil 
the meat until it gets so entirely tender that the bones will drop 
out, even if it takes five or ten hours. The steam and arOma, or 
flavor of the meat, will be condensed on the bottom of the cover- 
in": pan or pail of water, and drop back, and thus be retained. — 
When thoroughly done, remove the cover and slowly simmer down 
thick enough to jelly when cold. Dip out the meatj remove the 
bones, place it in a pan, pour over it the boiled liquid, lay over it 
a large plate or inverted tin platter, and put on 15 to 30 pounds 
weight. When cold, it will cut into nice slices, and if lean and 
fat or white meat be mixed, it will be beautifully marbled. The ~ 
juice will jelly, and compact it firmly together, and you will have 
nice juicy meat, good for breakfast, dinner or supper, and so ten- 
der that poor teeth can masticate it. Fresh beef, or corned beef 
well freshened in cold water, may be used in this way with deci- 
ded economy, and it is far superior to meat boiled in an open ves- 
sel from which the flavor has constantly escaped, as you can per- 
ceive by the odor all through the house, if Bridget leaves the 
kitchen door open a minute or two, as she will certainly happen 
to do. 

To Sweeten Hancid Butter. 

Eancid butter may be renovated and made sweet 
and palatable by the following process : 

For 100 pounds rancid butter, take 2 pounds fine white powder- 
ed sugar, 2 ounces saltpetre finely pulverized, and as much fine 
dairy salt as you wish to add to the butter to make it to your 
taste. 

The butter should be thoroughly washed in cold 
water before working in the above ingredients. — 
The amount used should be in proportion to the 
strongness of the butter. Smaller quantities of but- 
ter may be cleansed by using the same proportions. 

To Preserve Butter. 

Butter may be preserved for a long time by the 
following process : 

Take 2 parts best common salt, 1 part of sugar and 1 part of 
saltpetre, and blend the whole completely. Take 1 ounce of this 
composition lor 1 pound of butter; work it well into a mass and 
close it for future use. Butter thus cured requires to stand o or 4 
weeks before it is used. 



To Extract Grease from Cloth. 263 

To Extract Grease from Cloth. 

The following is undoubtedly the best remedy ex- 
tant for removing grease spots from woolen or any 
other kind of cloth : 

To % pint alcohol add 10 grains carbonate of potash, }-£ ounce 
oil of bergamot and 1 ounce sulphuric ether; mix and keep in a 
glass-stoppered bottle. Apply with a pieee of sponge, soaking 
the cloth thoroughly, when the grease is not recent. The mix- 
ture emits a peculiarly fragrant odor, and being a fluid soap chem- 
ically composed, will be found a perfect solvent lor oily matter. 

Another Method. 

The following method will effectually remove^ 
grease spots from silks, woolen goods, paper and 
floors : 

Grate on the 6pots best French chalk for the common will an- 
swer though not quite as good), cover tbem with brown paper 
and set on" a moderately warm iron and let it stand till cool. — 
Care must be taken not to have the iron too hot, or it may scorch 
or change the color of the cloth. If the first operation does not. 
entirely succeed, repeat the process. 

Moths. 

Moths are a great nuisance to housekeepers. — 
There is hardly anything in the line of clothing but 
that has to be watched and saved from the depreda- 
tions of these destructive pests. There are many 
ways to prevent their ravages. The following is 
cheap and easily applied : 

Sprinkle turpentine on pieces of flannel; wrap these in paper 
and lay them among the clothing, or articles likely to be attack- 
ed by the moth. It will prove a perfect preventive. 

Another. — The woolen moth may be prevented by the use of 
camphor gum tied with the clothing. Perhaps the most agreea- 
ble for wearing apparel is a mixture of 1 ounce cloves, 1 ounce 
rhubarb, and 1 ounce of cedar shavings, tied up in a bag and kept 
in a box. Or scatter the dry substance in the folds of the cloths, 
carpet, blanket or furs. 



264 Oil to Kill Insects. 

To Save the Vines. 

Many people lose a promising patch of watermel- 
on, squash or cucumber vines, for not knowing how 
to prevent the ravages of the little yellow bug. A 
tablespoonful of slaked lime sprinkled underneath 
each vine will drive away every bug. This is easily 
tried. 

Oil to Kill Insects. 

It has lately been demonstrated that coal oil dilu- 
ted with water is death to all kinds of insects. One 
great point in favor of its use in the garden is, that 
it acts as a manure to vegetation, while dealing out 
death to insects. Cabbage beds that have been al- 
most destroyed by the little black cabbage beetle or 
bug may be revivified and the whole crop of bugs 
destroyed by the application of this remedy. The 
black beetles or bugs that literally eat up young tur- 
nip plants, cabbage and cauliflower plants, egg- 
plants, &c, may be almost instantaneously killed 

off. Apply as follows : 

Put about 1 tablespoonful of coal oil into a common sized gar- 
den sprinkling pot, stir well and sprinkle over the beds, plants 
or vines affected. Care must be taken to have the water in the 
pot well stirred when used, so that a portion of the oil gets out as 
the water runs, otherwise the oil floating on the top of the water 
will stay there till all the water goes out and only the oil be left 
for the last, 

To I>estroy Insect F*ara&ite§. 

It has lately been ascertained that benzine diluted 
with water is one of the surest and safest articles 
that can be used to destroy the parasites that infest 



Camphor and its Uses. 265 

dogs, and other animals. It lias been used in an 
undiluted state to kill the minute insect which caus- 
es the disease in the human body called scabies — 
commonly known as itch. When used upon ani- 
mals it has been found to answer better when very 
much diluted, than when pure. The following are 
the best proportions for the preparation : 

Take benzine 5 parts, soap 10 parts, and -water 85 parts; or ben- 
zine 1 ounce, soap 2 ounces, and water 1 pint. 

The above diluted preparation is said to be death 
to insects that trouble plants. Be careful in the use 
of benzine, as it is very volatile, and its vapors are 
very inflammable. Benzine sprinkled upon clothes 
infested with moths will destroy every moth in a 
short time. 
To Prevent Chafing. 

During hot weather active persons of full habit 
are inclined to chafe. This may be cured or pre- 
vented by the use, once or twice a day — at rising 

and retiring — with the following : 

Dissolve a lump of alum as large as a walnut in half a pint of 
of warm water. When cold apply with a soft linen or cotton 
cloth to the parts affected. 

Camphor and its Uses. 

Spirits of Camphor. — Two ounces of camphor 
dissolved in alcohol forms what is known as spirits 
of camphor. It is used as an external application 
for sprains, local pain s and stiches. It is applied 
by rubbing with the hand the painful part. To se- 
cure the full bene$t of the appHcaetibn, tfefe rJart 



266 Camphor and its Uses. 

should be afterwards covered with flannel of suitable 
size, more or less wetted with the spirits, and the 
whole covered with oiled silk to restrain evaporation. 

Camphorated Oil,— This is another camphor 
liniment, the proportions being the same as in the 
preceding formula, substituting olive oil for the al- 
cohol, and exposing the materials to a moderate heat. 
As an external stimulant application it is even more 
powerful than the spirits ; and to obtain its full in- 
fluence, the part to be treated should also be cover- 
ed with flannel and oiled silk. It forms a valuable 
liniment in chronic rheumatism, and other painful 
affections, and is specially valuable as a counter ir- 
ritant in sore and inflamed throats, and diseased 
bowels. Camphor constitutes the basis of a large 
number of valuable liniments. 

Camphor Liniment. — In case of hooping cough 
and some bronchial affections, the following lini- 
ment may be used with good effect ; rubbing the 
chest and along the spine with the liniment : 

Spirits of camphor, 2 parts; laudanum, % a pint; spirits of tur- 
pentine, 1 part ; castile soap in powder, finely divided, % an 
ounce; alcohol 3 parts. Digest the whole together for 3 days, 
and strain through linen. This liniment should be gently warm- 
ed before using. 

Camphorated Liniment. — The following is a 
powerful liniment for old rheumatic pains, especial- 
ly when affecting the loins , 

Camphorated oil and spirits of turpentine, of each 2 parts; wa- 
ter of hartshorn, 1 part; laudanum, 1 part, To be well shaken 
together. 



Onm» MMtain KaSt*. 267 

Camphor Embrocation. — A very efficient lini- 
ment or embrocation, serviceable in chronic painful 
affections, may be made as follows : 

Take of camphor, 1 ounce; cayenne pepper in powder, 3 spoon- 
fuls; alcohol 1 pint. The whole to he digested with moderate 
heat for ten days, then filtered. It ie an active rubifacient; and, 
after a slight friction with it, it produces a grateful thrilling sen- 
sation of heat in the pained part, which is rapidly relieved. 

Green Mountain Plaster. 

The following is the well known and justly pop- 
nlar Green Mountain Plaster, for rheumatic pains 
or weakness in the side, back or shoulders, or any 
place where pain may locate itself: 

Take rosin 5 pounds, Burgundy pitch, mutton tallow and bees- 
wax, each 4 ounces, Venice turpentine, oil of red cedar, oil of 
hemlock, oil of origanum and balsam of fir, each 1 ounce, oil of 
wormwood >£ ounce, verdigris 1 ounce finely pulverized. Melt 
the first articles together,and add the oils, having rubbed the verdi- 
gris up with a little of the oils, and put it in with the other arti- 
cles ; stirring well. Pour the whole into cold water and work it 
like wax until cool enough to roll. 

Spread upon soft leather and apply to the parts affected for 
rheumatism or weakness; letting it remain as long as it will ad- 
here. For corns spread the salve upon cloth and apply to the 
corn, and let it remain until cured. Where the skin is broken, as 
in cuts, bruises, abrasions, ulcers and old sores, make the salve 
without the verdigris, spreading it upon cloth and applying as a 
sticking plaster. 

Conklin's Celebrated Salve. 

A salve made after the following formula has long 
been in use, and has performed wonders in the way 
of cures. It is used for rheumatism, rheumatic pains, 
pain in the sides, pain in the back, shoulders, etc : 

Take rosin 4 pounds, Burgundy pitch, white pine turpentine 
and mutton tallow, each four ounces, camphor gum and balsam 
of fir, each X ounce, sweet oil % ounce, alcohol % pint. Melt 
and mix thoroughly and uee as othar salvea. 



268 British and Harlaetai Oils. 

British Oil. 

Almost everybody has bought and used "Briti* 
Oil " for cuts, bruises, swellings, and sores of evei 
description on persons, horses and cattle. The fc 
lowing is the formula for its preparation : 

Take oil of turpentine 8 ounces, linseed oil 8 ounces, oil of a:s 
ber 4 ounces, oil of juniper 4 ounces, Barbadoes tar 3 ounces, s( 
eea oil 1 ounce. Mix thoroughly and it is ready for use. 

Harlaem Oil. 

This is another old but very efficient preparati< 
for strengthening the stomach, kidneys, liver ai! 
lungs. It is good in cases of asthma, cough, sho: 
ness of breath, inward or outward sores, worm 
dropsy, gravel, palpitation of the heart, giddines 
headaehe, etc., by taking inwardly. It is equal 
good for ulcers, malignant sores, cankers, etc., a 
nointing externally, and wetting liaea with it and a 
plying it to burns. It has been sold for over 1< 
years. The following is the formula for making i 

Take roll brimstone 3^ pound, gum ammoniac 1 ounce, gu 
myrrh 1 ounce; pulverize together and melt over a slow fire, a: j 
stir until it becomes brown; then add olive oil 1 pint, spirits 
turpentine 1 pint. Dose 5 to 10 drops 3 times a day. Great en ! 
should be taken in mixing the ingredients, not to have them t< a 
hot, as it might take fire. 

Another. 

Here is another preparation that has been sold u 
der the name of "Harlem OS." The preparatk ^ 
diners a little from the above, though it may be ju 
as good. It is used for the same maladies : 

Take flowers of sulphur 2 ounces, oil of amber 2 ounces, 1 
seed oil 1 pound. Boil the sulphur in the linseed oil and add t tf 
oil of siabsT, T^s tWs wQA wffiftfcirt spirits tftu^cuttu* to rodtj I 



. 



Japan for Tin. 269 

ie whole to the consistence of thin molasses. Dose— 15 to 25 
rops morning and night. Dose for a child is one drop for each 
svear of its age. 

rold-Colored Lacker. 

Lackers of various colors are used upon polished 
petals for improving their appearance and to prevent 
ust. The following makes a deep gold -colored lack- 
r, that imparts a beautiful appearance to tin or oth- 
r metal : 

. Seed-lac 3 ounces, turmeric 1 ounce, dragon's blood jounce, 
lcohol 1 pint; digest for a week, frequently shaking, decant and 

i 'Iter. 
If yellow is required, use turmeric, aloes, saffron, or gamboge ; 

ror red use annotto or dragon's blood to color. Turmeric, gam- 
oge and dragon's blood, generally afford a sufficient range of 

i.iolors. 

i Another. — Alcohol % pint, gum shellac 1 ounce, turmeric % 
unce, red-sanders % ounce. Put all together in a flask and set 
i a warm place for 24 hours, skaking frequently, then strain off 

(nd bottle for use. 

For different colors use articles mentioned above. 

apan for Tin. 

The following ingredients will produce a transpa- 
snt varnish for tin, that may be colored to any de- 
ired shade afterward : 

Take balsam of fir 2 ounces, balsam of tolu 2 ounces, acetate of 
;ad 2 ounces, gum sandarach 1 pound, and linseed oil X pint. — 
ut all into a kettle over a slow fire at first, and increase until all 
re melted, then take from the fire and when a little cool stir in 
pirits of turpentine 2 quarts, and strain through a fine cloth and 

is ready for use. 

The above should be applied with a brush, but it 
rill be a colorless varnish. To give it any color de- 
ired, add the following : 

For yellow take 1 ounce of curcuma root pulverized, and stir 
ito a pint of the above until the color pleases you, then let stand 
few hours and strain. 
For blue take 1 ounce of indigo and Prussian blue, pulverize 



270 Bronzing. 

them and mix with 1 pint of spirits of turpentine, and strain.— 
Take 1 pint of the varnish and add to it of this mixture until th« 
color suits. 

For green mix equal parts of the yellow and blue mixtures and 
add to the varnish as may be needed to give it the desired color. 

For red, to % a pint of spirits of turpentine add % ounce coch- 
ineal; let it stand 12 to 15 hours and strain. Add of this to the 
varnish until the desired color is obtained. 

Bronzing. 

Various articles such as iron, wood, plaster busts 
&c., may be bronzed, and made to look almost as 
well as the metal itself by the following cheap pro- 
cess : 

Take a black paint and put in a little chrome yellow, only 
enough to give it a dark green shade. Apply a coat of this to the 
article to be bronzed ; when dry give it a coat of varnish, and 
when the varnish is partly dry sprinkle on bronze by dipping a 
velvet cloth into it and then shaking it upon the varnish ; when 
dry give it another coat of varnish and it is complete. 

Substitute for Pharaoh's Serpents. 

Pharaoh's Serpents, or serpents eggs, is a scientific 
toy that has been very popular for the last year or 
two, but owing to the component parts being so dif- 
ficult to procure, it has not come into general use. 
The original "serpents eggs" are made of sulpho- 
cyanide of mercury, an article difficult to make, and 
a hard matter to obtain. The following is a cheap 
substitute that is almost equal to the original toy, 
without its objectionable features : 

Take 1 part of flour sulphur, and 6 parts of cyanide of mercury : 
rub the sulphur in a mortar with the cyanide of mercury to a very 
fine powder (the finer the better), then make a cone of tin foil and 
pack the powder into it rather loosely, leaving sufficient room at 
its bottom to close it. If tin foil is not convenient, moisten the 
powder and form a cone of the saine, as pastilles are formed— 
place in the 8un or near a fire until sufficiently dry. 



To Measure a Crib of Corn. 271 

To make a Beautiful Hearth-Rug. 

We have seen some beautiful hearth rugs made in 
the following manner. All that is wanted is a little 
application, with a moderate amount of skill, to make 
a very ornamental rug. We saw two rugs once, at 
the Fair of the Michigan State Agricultural Society, 
that took the 1st and 2d premiums, made as follows : 

Procure a coffee sack, tack it tightly on a frame ot the size you 
wish your rug. Get a blacksmith to make you a crochet-needle 
about the size of a husking peg, tapering rather more. With char- 
coal and rule lay out on the sack the figure you wish for your rug. 
Gather all the old woolen rags such as are too much worn for car- 
pet, thrumbs, bits of wool, etc. Tear these in strips, and with 
the 4 hook in the right hand, hold the strip beneath with the left, 
thrust the hook through the meshes of the sack, catch the rag 
and pull it through about a half inch, then through again as near 
to tke first as possible. By sorting the different colors and fol- 
lowing the patterns, a very beautiiul article can be made. After 
it is all filled up in this way, take a pair of sheep shears or com- 
mon scissors, large size, and shear it all off to an even surface. — 
Old dresses are the best ; heavy cloth will not-vvork in well. 

An Impromptu Ice Pitcher. 

The following simpie plan may be adopted to pre- 
serve ice in a common pitcher. It may be prepared 
at any time in a few minutes at no cost and very lit- 
tle trouble. You will pe astonished at its effect— - 
at the length of time it will keep and the water re- 
main cold after the ice has melted : 

Place between two sheets of paper (mewspaper will answer, 
thick brown is better) a layer of cotton batting, about half an inch 
in thickness; fasten the ends of paper and batting together, form- 
ing a circle ; then sew or paste a crown over one end, making a 
box the shape of a stove pipe hat, minus the rim. Place this oy«r 
an ordinary pitcher filled with ice-water— making it deep enough 
to re*t on the table so as to exclude the air. 

To Pleasure a Crib of Corn. 

It frequently happens that you wish to sell a crib 
of corn in the ear, without going to the trouble of 



272 To Measure Hay in the Mow, 

measuring it with a half bushel. A very nearly cor- 
rect estimate of the contents of a crib may be made 
as follows : 

Level the corn in the crib, measure the length, breadth and 
hight which it occupies ; multiply these together, and this pro- 
duct by 0.4 (the decimal 4); this will give the amount in shelled 
corn—" supposing the bushel of ears will produce but a half bush- 
el of grains.'' ::' the above product be multiplied by 0.8 we will 
have the actual contents of corn in the ear at are very 

Sroductive will yield more than half ; for this proper allowance 
i to be made. 

To Measure Hay in the Mow. 

The following rule will be found near enough cor- 
rect for all practical purposes. For a mow well 
pressed, it takes 600 to 700 cubic feet for a ton. If 
pressed very hard, say 600 feet. Take a mow 18 
by 30, and 12 "feet deep and we have the following 
formula. 

18 X 30 X 12=6480 -:- 600=10 43-60 tons. 
The rule is, multiply the length of the mow by the breadth, 
then by the depth, aud divide by 600, if the mow is deep and hard 
pressed,^)r by 700 if not very deep, and not pressed beyond its 
own weight. Of hay not well settled in the mow, it will take 
1,000 cubit feet to a ton. 

To Extinguish a Burning Chimney, 

A chimney or stove pipe frequently takes tire, (or 
the soot therein takes fire which amounts to the 
same thing,) endangering the house, and as a gene- 
ral thing you wait to see what comes of it. The fol- 
lowing plan is always feasible and eftectual : 

Put a tablespoonful of flowers of sulphur in the stove and im 
mediately close the draft. The sulphuric acid gas disengaged by 
the combustion of the sulphur will not support combustion, and 
consequently extinguishes the burning chimney or stove pipe. 



To (fate Lamb Skins, 273 

To Cure Lamb Skins. 

The various purposes to which lamb's wool is ap- 
plied makes a really good method of tanning or cu- 
ring the skins valuable. The following method we 
have tried and know it to be good : 

As soon as the skin is taken from the animal, stretch it tightly 
on a board, flesh side out; then before it begins to dry, apply an 
equal mixture of fine salt and alum, thoroughly pulverized to- 
gether, until the skin is slightly whitened by the mixture. In a 
few weeks take them and thoroughly wash them in warm soap 
suds, let them dry moderately, and just before they are fully dry, 
rub them soft with the hands. After rubbing they are soft and 
pliable as a kid gloye, and will continue so. 

Tanning Fur Skins. 

Since the price of furs has beecome so perfectly 
fabulous, people whose purses have a bottom that is 
sometimes reached at inconvenient seasons, will find 
it convenient to sometimes adopt a home made sub- 
stitute. The following method for preparing skins 
with the fur on is recommended : 

The skins cleaned of flesh are put in a liquid prepared thus ;— 
Upon 1 pound of hard wood ashes, pour 4 gallons hot soft water, 
let it stand for a few hours and strain out the liquor, then add 3 
pounds of common salt, % pound of alum, and 1 pound of sul- 
phuric acid (oil of vitriol). The mixture is to be made in a wood- 
en tub or similar vessel, and care should be exercised in handling 
the acid, that none come in contact with the person or clothing. 
The skins are placed in the liquid and allowed to remain there 
from 1 to 2 hours, when they are rinsed and hung out to dry. Be- 
fore the skin is fairly dry it may be much improved by stretching 
• and rubbing until dry. 

To Prepare Kid Leather. 

The preparation of kid leather for gloves is one of 
the branches of industry that many manufacturers 
of gloves should understand. Yolk of egg is large- 
ly used in the preparation of kid leather for this pur- 
L3 



274 Patent Leather. 

pose, to give it the requisite softness and elasticity. 
As a substitute for the yolks of eggs, the brains of 
certain animals are used, which in chemical nature, 
closely resemble the yolk of egg. 

For thi* purpose the brain is mixed im het water, passed 
through a saiT« and then made into dosjjh with tour, and the 
lye or wood ashes. The gloye leather is also steeped for a short 
period ia a weak eolation of alum. The Indians of oar forests 
employ the brains of deer and buffalo mixed with a weak lye of 
wood ashes, wad after this tbey smoke the shins, the pyrolijpeous 
acid of the wood in the smoke accomplish** the same object as 
the alum need by the Freach skin dreaser*. 

Indian prepared skins stand the action of water 
in a superior manner to the French kid. Furs dress- 
ed after the Indian method resist the attacks of in- 
sects. It is believed that the carbonic acid in the 
smoke is the preservative principle which renders 
the skins tanned by the Indians superior to those 
tanned with alum and sumach in the usual way. — 
The skins are rubbed with the mixture of the brains 
of animals and the lye, thta dried in the open air. 
Three or four such applications are necessary before 
they are smoked in pits covered with the bark of 
trees. 

Patent Leather. 

The basis for glaaed or what is called " enamelled 
leather," is boiled linseed oil The following is the 
process. 

Boil 5 gallons of linseed oil with 4>£ pounds litharge (oxide of 
lead) and 4>£ pounds of sulphate of zinc or white lead, until the 
whole becomes like thick cream. Combine this mixture with 
powdered chalk, enough to make it of the proper consistency, 
and spread upon the leather and work into the pores with appro- 
p riate. tools. Apply thus three thin coats, allowing each to dry 



Painting Japan Work. 275 

before the other is put on, and when the last Is perfectly dry, rub 
down with pumice stone until it is quite smooth. Then apply 
two thin coats of the prepard oil without the chalk, but made 
black with ivory black, and thinned with turpentine, and let it 
dry. For a final coating apply linseed oil mixed with turpentine 
and colored with lamp black. Then dry the leather in an apart- 
ment in which the temperature is maintained at 134 to 170 deg. 
Fah. 

To Tan Nets, Sails, &c. 

The cloth of awnings and sails, also nets and 
cordage, may be prepared in the following simple 
manner to endure for a far greater length of time than 
is usual with such articles : 

Take about 100 pounds of oak or hemlock bark and boil it in 90 
gallons of water, until the quantity is reduced to 70 gallons; then 
take out the bark and steep the cloth, sails or cordage in the clear 
liquor for about 12 hours. Then take it out and dry it thorough- 
ly in the atmosphere or in a warm room. The cloth should be 
completely covered with the tan liquor and lie loose in it, so aa 
not to pr«ss the folds too closely together while boiling. Sail 
and awning cloth thus prepared will resist the action of damp 
for years in situations where unprepared cloth will decay in a few 
months. 

Tortoise Shell Japan. 

This varnish which constitutes the ground work 
for those beautiful tea boards which are so much ad- 
mired, is prepared as follows : 

Take linseed oil 1 gallon, umber W pound, and boil them to- 
gether until the oil beomes thick and brown; then strain through 
a cloth and boil again, until the composition is about the eohaist- 
ence of pitch, when it is fit for use. Clean well the vessel to be 
varnished or japanned, and then lay vermillion mixed with shel- 
lac varnish, or with drying oil diluted with good turpentine, very 
thinly on tne places intended to imitate the clear parts of the 
tortoise shell. When the vermillion is dry, brush over, the whole 
with the prepared umber varnish diluted to a due consistence 
with turpentine, and when it is set and firm, put into an oven and 
let it undergo a strong heat for some time. The work is all the 
better for being finished in an annealing oven. 

Painting Japan Work. 

The following is the process for painting on Jap-' 
an work. A skillful hand joined with the requisite 



276 To Enamel Oast Iron Utensils. 

taste may make some beautiful work after this style: 

Temper the colors to be painted in oil in which has been dis- 
solved M its weight of gum sanderach or mastic; then dilute with 
turpentine so that the colors maybe laid on thin and evenly. In 
some i»stances it does well to put on water colors on grounds of 
gold, which may be managed so as to make the work appear as 
if it were embossed. Prepare the water colors with isinglass size 
mixed with honey or sugar candy. These colors when laid on 
must receive a number of upper coats of the umber varnish spo- 
ken of in the previous recipe. 

To Enamel Cast Iron Utensils. 

By the following method any cast iron utensils 
or articles for cooking or other purposes may be 
coated with a fine and durable enamel. The article 
to be enamelled must be scoured bright with sand 
and dilute sulphuric acid, then dried and the enam- 
el paste put on with a brush, or poured on the sur- 
face and the excess dripped off: 

Take 9 parts red lead, 6 parts flint glass, 2 parts purified pearl- 
ash, 2 parts purified saltpetre, and 1 part borax; reduce to a fine 
powder and grind all together ; put all in a large crucible and 
melt until a clear glass is obtained. Grind this glass with water 
and cover the vessel to be enamelled with a coating, and then 
heat in a muffle in a furnace. This will melt in a very short time 
with the i : a good heat, and the cast iron vessel will be 

cpyered with a very line black enamel of shining appearance. 

White Examel.— Take 12 parts flint glass, 4 parts pearlash, 4 
parts saltpetre and 2 parts borax and three parts oxide of tin, 
calcined with common salt. Treat this the same asjabove and you 
will have a tine, white enamel. In each case dry the paste slowly 
in the air, and bake -the article in a hot oven until the paste fuses. 
The heat should be raised gradually to the melting point. 

To Silver with Powdered Tin. 

The^ following gilding or silvering is often used 
for covering wood, leather, iron or other articles in 
constant use. It is very ornamental. 

Melt a quantity of pure tin, pour into a box convenient for the 
purpose and shake violently. The metal will assume when cold, 
the form of a very fine, gray powder. Sift this to separate any 
coarse particles, then mix with melted glue, and it is ready for 



How to Keep the Feet Dry. 277 

use. To apply, thin with water to the consistency of thin cream, 
and lay on with a soft brush, like paint. When dry, it will ap- 
pear like a coat of gray water color. Go over it with an agate 
burnisher and it exhibits a bright surace of polished tin. A coat- 
ing of white or gold colored varnish or lacker is immediately laid 
over it, according as it may be intended to imitate silvering or 
gilding. If the glue is too strong, the burnisher has no effect, 
and if too weak, the tin crumbles off under the burnisher. 

To Tin Cast Iron Articles. 

Many articles, such as bridle bits, small nails,&c., 
are manufactured of tinned cast iron. The following 
is the process of tinning such articles as saucepans, 
goblets, and other hollow iron ware on their inner 
surfaces : 

First scour the article bright with sand and dilute sulphuric or 
muriatic acid ; then wash thoroughly in soft water and dry. Then 
place them over a fire and heat them then pour in grain tin, and 
move the vessel so as to roll the molten tin over the surface. Add 
some powdered rosin to prevent oxide forming on the surface of 
the iron. Copper or brass hollow vessels may be tinned in the 
same way. 

How to Have Dry Feet. 

There is probably no one condition so absolutely 
essential to health as warm, dry feet. And this fact 
is so generally appreciated by the better informed 
portion of the community, that various expedients 
have been devised to ensure that condition, and keep 
the dampness from the soles of the feet. Some ad- 
vise that a piece of sail cloth or other woven mate- 
rial, should be cut the shape of the sole, dipped in 
melted pitch or tar, and when cooled, placed between 
the layers of the shoe's sole and well sewed. If this 
is carefully done it is impossible for any dampness 
to penetrate to the soles of the feet by simply walk- 



278 How to Ktep the Feet Dry. 

ing on damp ground ; but in walking in wet grass 
or the slosh of snow deep enough to reach the up- 
per leather, this device is no protection. 

Another means of rendering the soles of shoes im- 
pervious to dampness, and to prevent their squeak- 
ing, is to set them in melted tallow deep enough to 
merely cover the soles, and let them remain a week ; 
if it is in a mixture of equal parts of beeswax "and 
tallow it is still the better. 

Another method to make the soles impervious to 
water, and to last much longer, is to apply a coat of 
gum copal varnish, and as it dries another, and re- 
peat the operation until the pores of the leather are 
tilled, and the surface shines like polished mahogany. 

Another Prepaeation. — The soles of shoes may 
be made impervious to water by rubbing the follow- 
ing mixture into the leather until it is thoroughly 
saturated. 

Take one pint boiled linseed oil, half a pound of mutton suet, 6 
ounces of pure beeswax, 4 ounces of rosin. Melt these over a slow 
fire, stirring well, and when the shoes are new, warm them and 
the mixture also, and U6e 

For both Soles and Uppers.— Melt together 1 pound each of 
rosin and tallow, and apply while hot to both soles and upper 
leather, with a painter's brush. If it is desired that the boots 
should take a polish immediately, dissolve an ounce of beeswax 
in a teaspoonful of turpentine and add a teaspoonful of lamp 
black, a day or two after the boot6 have been treated with the 
rosin and tallow, rub over them this wax and turpentine, away 
from the fire. Thus the exterior will have a coat of wax alone, 
and will have a bright polish. Tallow and grease become rancid 
and rot the stitching, and the leather al6o; while the rosin mix- 
ture preserves both. 

Another.— Take 1 pint linseed oil, % pint spirits of turpentine 
or camphor, X pound Burgundy pitch; melt the whole together 



VarnfehforBhoee. 379 

with a gentle heat; warm it when it is to be need, and rnb it in- 
to the leather before the fire, or in the sun. 

Or, melt together beeswax and mutton suet, half and half, and 
rub it in where the stitches are. 

To Attach Gutta Percha Soles. — Gutta per- 
cha soles are preferred by some. Tb*y may be at- 
tached to any boot or shoe in the following manner : 

Dry the old sole, roughen it well with a rasp, and nab oa with 
the finger a thin, warm solution of ^utta percha; dry it, hold it 
to the fire, and then rub on a coat ot a thicker sulation. Take 
the gutta percha sole, soften it in hot waUr, wipe it, and hold 
both sole and shoe to the fire mntil warm; lay the sole on gradu- 
ally, beginning at the toe. In half an hour para it »eatly with a 
knife. 

It must be remembered that if you make the up- 
per leather of a shoe water-tight, it it rendered meas- 
urably air tight, and this occasions dampaeis on the 
inside, creating ill odors aud coldnesa, while any 
kind of oily substance must not only rot the materi- 
al but cause a noisome smell. 

Another wit to Make Soles Water Pbooe.— Take new boots 
before they havo been worn, and hold the aolea to the fire until 
they are well warmed ; then warm a little tar In a tin cup and 
apply it with a swab to the soles ofthoes, but not hot enough to 
burn the leather, then let it be well dried in before the ire. This 
will never work out while warming the feet; but this tar should 
be applied the first of each month until May, if the boots are 
worn much in the wet. This tar penetrates the sole to the eighth 
of an inch, and renders it almost as hard as horn. Grease of any 
kind will soften the leather and make it more porous. Without 
this tar application, the first wetting of the sole6 will contract 
them and make them fit not so well, sometimes making them 
too small altogether. 

Varnish for Shoes. 

It is a bad plan to grease the upper leather of 
shoes for the purpose of keeping them soft ; it rots 
the leather and makes it admit dampness more read- 
ily. Make a varnish as follows, and you will find 
t much more beneficial to the leather : 



280 Varnish for Shoes. 

Put half a pound of gum shellac, broken up iu small pieces, in 
a quart bottle or jag, cover it with alcohol, cork it tight and put 
it on a shelf in a warm place ; shake it well several times a day, 
then add a piece of gum camphor as large as a hen's egg; shake 
it well and in a few hours shake it again and add one ounce of 
lamp black; if the alcohol is good it will be dissolved in three 
days; then shake and use. If it gets too thick, add alcohol—pour 
out two or three teaspoonfuls in a saucer, and apply it with a 
small paint brush. If the materials were all good, it will dry in 
about five minutes, and will be removed only by wearing it off, 
giving a gloss almost equal to patent leather. 

The advantages of this preparation above others, 
is, that it does not strike into the leather and make 
it hard, but remains on the surface and yet excludes 
the water, almost perfectly. This same preparation 
is admirable for harness, and does not soil when 
touched, as lampblack mixtures do. 

If boots are treated as above, and just before go- 
ing out of doors the stockings are removed, and both 
feet and stockings are well dried before the fire, the 
feet will feel comfortably warm for several hours ; it 
is the moisture or steam about the feet which often 
makes them feel cold by the out-door air condensing 
them. No one should travel in winter with tight- 
fitting shoes ; they arrest the circulation ; this in- 
duces coldness, causing a general feeling of discom- 
fort all over the body, even making the mind fretful 
and irritable. A woolen stocking will alone keep the 
feet warmer than the same stockings and a tight fit- 
ting pair of boots besides. If a person has a good 
circulation, the feet will get warm of themselves if 
the tight boots are removed. No one can go to bed 
with cold feet without doing themselves a positive 



Tight Shoei. 281 

injury ; and it is always best in winter-time, even if 
the feet do not feel cold, at bed-time to draw off the 
stockings and hold the feet to the fire or stove, rub- 
bing them meanwhile with the hand, until they are 
perfectly dry and comfortably warm in every part ; 
it is a pleasant operation of itself, and ought not to 
be dispensed with for a single night from October to 
May ; it is one of the best anodynes ; it allows a 
person to fall asleep in five minutes who, with cold 
feet, would have remained awake for half an hour or 
more, and even then the sleep will be unrefreshing 
and dreamy. As cold feet induces a number of dis- 
eases, aggravates others, and delays the cure of all, 
it is worth all the trouble one can take, if thereby, 
even in the course of months, the delightful condition 
can be brought about wherein the feet are in such a 
natural and healthy state, that the mind is never at- 
tracted towards them unpleasantly. 

Tight Slices 

Interfere with the pleasure of locomotion, cause 
corns, and even rheumatic gout ; hence it is worth 
while to adopt the following advice : 

Just put on two pair* of thick stockings before the measure is 
taken, or before fitting your feet with ready made shoes ; then 
when you get home pull off both pair, put on one thin pair, wear 
them for a few days and then put on thicker. This simple expe- 
dient will prevent an incalculable amount of discomfort, irritation 
and loss in one year. 

Cleaning Shoes. — By the following method, 
boots and shoes may be cleaned easily, harmlessly, 



282 To Preserve PofctoM from Bproutk^. 

and well, without scarcely soiling jour fingers, and 
save a great deal of extra brushing. 

Scrape off the mud or wet dirt with an old spoon handle, or, 
what is better, a wooden knife ; then, with* soft, damp raj or 
sponge, reinoye what the knife failed to ; then set them back from 
the fire for fire or six hour*, or more ; thej will tken take a pol- 
ish as easily as before ttey ware wetted. 

Boots and shoe* for the winter should be large 
enough to admit of cork soles, which, if taken out ev- 
ery night and dried well, will keep the feet wajcm all 
the tirue r without which condition no person can pos- 
sibly have good health, while there are many whose 
only obstacle to good health is cold feet. 

To Preserve Potatoes from Sprouting. 

There are various methods recommended for keep- 
ing potatoes and preventing their sprouting or. be- 
c oming unfit for table use in the spring. The fol- 
lowing is the Scotch method, recommended in llalVs 
Journal of Health. It is said that " mealy " pota- 
toes may be had all summer from the previous year's 

growth. 

To a pint of water add an ounce of liquid ammonia (hartshorn), 
or in that proportion ; let the potatoes be immersed in this mix- 
ture four or five days ; dry them. Their substance is thus con- 
solidated, and much of their moisture extracted without the 
slightest injury for all table qualities, but their vegatative power 
is forever destroyed. If spread out after immersion, so as to be 
well dried, they will keep good for ten menthe. 

Baked potatoes are easily digested, requiring only 
two hours and a half, but one hour longer if boiled. 
The sprouts of potatoes uncovered with earth con- 
tain solanum, a powerful poison, the potato becoming 
green, and is then unfit for even animals. To have 



How to have M«aiy Potatoes. 266 

mealy potatoes for the table, boil them until the fork 
easily penetrates ; pour off all the water ; cover the 
vessel with a cloth near the fire until "steamed dry." 
We will add that in no way is a potato so excel- 
lent as when roasted, so that while it is thoroughly 
cooked the skin will not be too hard to b* eaten. — 
Many people— a large majority-— merely eat the in- 
side of a potato, and reject the outside, or skin, which 
is really the best part of it, and possesses the finest 
flavor 

Another Plan.— Put the potatoes in the cellar ia boxaa, bar- 
rels or bins, and completely coyer with old carpet, rags, or aay 
substance that will completely exclude the light. If this is prop- 
erly done, there will be bo sprouting. 

Another Wat to have Mbaly Potatob*. — Sprinkle the bot- 
tom of the potato bin with lime, and put in about six imchee deep 
of potatoes, then sprinkle with lime as before. Put in aaother 
layer of potatoes about six inches deep and sprinkle agai© with 
lime, and continue the process until the bin is Hied. One bushel 
of lime will answer for forty bushels of potatoes, though more will 
not hurt them. The lime rather improves the flavor of the pota- 
toes. 

Another Method.-— This we will not warrant, 
though we liave the assurance of thosa who havs 
tried it, that it is infallible. 

Fill a basket of potatoes and dip them iate a kettle of boiling 
water, and let them remain two or three minutes. Repeat the 
operation until you hav« thus caret* all you waat for spring use. 
The boiling water kills the germ so they will apt sprout and be- 
come soft. Dry then* before packing away. 

One More Method. — Try the following : 

Pat a quantity of powdered charcoal ia the bottoa* of the bin. 
After putting in potatoes to the depth of about a foot, sprinkle 
in more powdered charcoal and thus fill up the bin. The char- 
coal will preserve their flavor and prevent the sprtuts from start- 
ing in the spring. 



284 To Transplant Sweet Potatoes. 

Sweet Potatoes— to Transplant. 

The very general production of this esculent with- 
in the last few years, will be a sufficient excuse for 
introducing here, short directions for transplanting, 
cultivating and preserving them. It is better to pre- 
pare your ground immediately before the planting, 
as the freshly prepared ground is much looser, and 
is therefore, mpre suitable to receive the plants. 

Having got the ground, together with your plants all ready, no 
matter how dry the weather, commence about the middle of the 
afternoon, having tubs or barrels of water conveniently situated, 
and use about a teacup full of water to each plant. The ground 



being loose, the four fingers of the right hand are passed down 
igth into the earth and the dirt pulled up so as to 
make a hole large enough for a cup of water. With your left 



hand carefully set your plant down as it should stand. Now let 
some person pour on the cup of water, which will cause the fibrous 
roots to swim and straighten out, and assume their natural posi- 
tion. Now quickly let the dirt in your right hand be conducted 
around your plant in as loose manner as possible, leaving the top 
of the plant properly out of the ground. No packing is desirable 
in this case. By using this method we never have to wait for a 
suitable season, but get the plants ready as soon as possible. 

Thus set, they commence growing right along,and 
live and do better than if planted in any other way, 
unless it is a very favorable season. Much time is 
saved, and we have a much larger and more abund- 
ant crop. If the water is slightly manured it willte 
still better. 
To Keep Sweet Potatoes. 

To keep the sweet potatoe for use through the winter requires 
much care. One great requisite is, to have the potatoes gathered 
before they are injured by frost or by remaining in cold soil after 
the vines are killed. Another very important item is to have 
them carefully handled. If they are dry when brought from the 
field they may be put up the following day, if moist they should 
be allowed to dry twenty-four hours before putting up. If mud- 
dy and wet, a longer time is needed. Throw out all cut and 
bruised ones. The potatoes may be placed in boxes or bins of any 
convenient size, only that they must not contain potatoes more 



To Keep Apples. 285 

than sixteen inches in depth, and if placed one above another, 
must have an air space of at least two inches between the bottom 
of one and the top of another. They should be raised from the 
floor in the bottom of the box, then fill half full of potatoes, then 
shovel in sand until the crevices are well filled, then fill up with 
potatoes and finish with sand, having an inch of sand above the 
top of the potatoes. The sand should be dry, dusty, and screened 
if possible, so that it will run well. The best time to secure the 
sand is in the months of August and September. Dry it on a 
platform of boards in the sun, and store it away in a dry place. — 
It will require about one-third as much bulk of sand as there Is 
of potatoes to be put up. To keep well, the sweet potato needs 
an even temperature. 

To Preserve Grapes. 

Pick the grapes carefully, without bruising, and pack them in 
tight boxes. Put in a layer of raw cotton,' then a layer of grapes, 
then another layer of cotton, and so on, until the box is full. — 
When carefully prepared in this way they may be kept all winter. 

French Method. 

It is said that the French, who ought to know all 
about grapes, adopt the following method of preserv- 
ing grapes the year round : 

Piek the bunches just before they are thoroughly ripe, and dip 
them in lime water having the consistency of thin cream. The 
lime coating keeps out.the air and checks any tendency to decay. 
When grapes thus prepared are wanted for the table, they are 
placed for a moment in hot water, and the lime will be removed. 

To Keep Apples. 

Apples may be kept for winter and spring use as 
follows : 

Put your apples in casks er bins in layers well covered with dry 
sand, each layer being covered. This preserves them from air, 
from moisture and from frost; it prevents their perishing by their 
own perspiration, their moisture being absorbed by the sand; at 
the same time it preserves the flavor of the apples, and prevents 
their wilting. Apples may be kept in this manner sound and 
fresh until they grow again. Any kind of sand will do, but it 
must be perfectly dry. 

If apples are immersed in any kind of grain they 
will keep good all the year round, and the grain will 
not in any wsty be the yr^m ft* it. This nwi not in- 



286 Time to Oiit Timber. 

volve any preparation or expense, as the apples may 
be put into a corn or oat bin, and a|prn or oats in- 
tended for feed may be kept this way as well as any 
other. 
To Pack Fruits for Long Distances. 

A friend who has been in the small fruit growing 
business for some time, furnishes us with his meth- 
od of packing fresh fruits of various kinds, to send 
distances varying from 50 to 500 miles. He says- 
" I have invariably packed from 60 to 80 bunches 
of grapes, and 50 or 60 dozens of peaches or apri- 
cots in one box, and received letters from persons 
who said they had arrived as safe as if they had been 
picked from the trees that morning. The following 

is his method : 

Take a box in size According to the quantity to be sent. Put a 
layer of sweet bran in the bottom, wrap soft paper around eaxht 
bunch of grape6, by holding it over the sheet of paper and care- 
fully bringing the four corner* up to the stem and giving them a 
slight twist; then lay the bunch on its side in the box, and so on 
until the first layer is finished. Then fill the whole over with 
bran, and giye the box a gentle shake as you proceed. Begin 
the second layer as the first, and aro on until the. box is comple- 
ted. Thus with neat hands the bloom is preserved, and may bo 
sent to any distance; but with clumsy hands, quite the contrary, 
and often an entire failure, at the putting in and taking out of 
the box are the mo6t important points to bo observed. 

The Time to Cut Timber. 

Timber should always be cut betwen the 1st of 
August and the 1st of December, to make it last, and 
to keep it from powder post and the borer. Timber 
cut at this season of the year will be very much sound- 
er and far more durable than that which is cut at 
any other season. Try it and see* 



To *&ak© Hens Lay in Winter*. 287 

To Prevent Pence Posts from Decaying. 

Several methods are given for preventing fence 
posts from rotting in the ground. Always set the 
end of the post towards the top of the tree into the 
ground. One way is to char the end of the post as 
far as it goes into the ground, by burning. It is said 
this will make them last ten times as long as they 
would without such preparation. Another method 
is to saturate the end of the post with tar as far as 
they go into the ground. The following is the meth- 
od of preparing them : 

Procure a sheet iron tank, of the same depth you wish the posts 
to be tarred, and two and a half or three feet in diameter. Have 
this set on a common stove and set it full of posts, with the top 
end downward. Fill up the tank with tar and boil for an hour. 

To Make Hens Xjay in the Winter. 

There are various methods advised to make hens 
lay in winter, each probably ha7ing more or less vir- 
tue. One is to feed them occasionally with freslii 
meat, some say raw, and others cooked. The follow- 
ing is the plan recommended by one of our farmer: 
friends, and which has been tried successfully : 

Raise a sufficient quantity of sunflowers for the hens to feed up- 
on the seeds all the winter, and you will have plenty of eggs. — 
The best way to raise them is to plant with potatoes, then you 
can also plant Lima beans, which will run up the stalks and 6ave 
the expense of polling. The sunflower will shade the potatoes, 
and make them grow better and be much sweeter, so that three 
crops can be raised off one piece of ground. Cut your sunflowers 
up, when ripe, at the bottom of the stalk, and set them up on the 
*u 1' With their neads close together, near your fowl-vard, where 
the hens can run under between the stalks and pick u"p the seeds 
*s they fall down. 



28 8 To tell a Horse's Age by his Teeth. 

To Tell a Horse's Age by His Teeth. 

It is frequently convenient to be able to determine 
approximately the age of a horse for yourself. An 
expert frequently does this at a glance at the animal's 
mouth. The following is the only rule we are aware 
of for determining the age of a horse by his teeth : 

At birth, only the two nippers or middle incisors appear. 

At one year old, the incisors are all visible on the first or milk 
set. 

Below three years, the permanent nippers have eome through. 

At four years old, the permanent dividers next to the nippers 
are out. 

At five years of age the horse has forty — twenty-four molar or 
jaw teeth, twelve incisors or front teeth, and four tusks or canine 
teeth, between the molars and incisors, but usually wanting in 
the mare. 

At six, the bellow under the nippers, called the mark, has dis- 
appeared from the nippers, and diminished in the dividers. 

At seven, the mark has disappeared from the dividers, and the 
next teeth, or corners, are level, though showing the mark. 

At eight, the mark is gone from the corners, and the horse is 
said to be aged. 

After this time, indeed, good authorities say after 
five years, the age of a horse can only be conjectured. 
But the teeth gradually change their form, the in- 
cisors becoming round, oval, and then triangular. — 
Dealers sometimes bishop the teeth of old horses ; 
that is, scoop them out to imitate the mark, but this 
can be known by the absence of the white edge of 
enamel which always surrounds the real mark, by 
the shape of the teeth, and other marks of age about 
the animal. 

When a Horse is Unsound. 

It frequently becomes necessary to determine 
whether a horse, is unsound or not, or wh^tte he is 



Dyeing. 289 

vicious or not. In such cases it is well to have some 
guide to know what constitutes unsoundness, or vic- 
iousness in the eye of the law. Any of the follow- 
ing defects constitute unsoundness in a horse : 

Lameness, of all kinds and degrees. Diseases of any of the in- 
ternal organs. Cough of all kinds as long as it exists. Colds or 
catarrhs, while they last. Roaring, broken wind, thick wind, 
grease, mange, farcy and glanders, mergrims or staggers, founder, 
convex feet, contracted feet, spavins and ringbones, enlargement 
of the sinews or ligaments, cataracts and other defects of the eye, 
impairing sight. 

The following may or may not occasion unsoundness, accord- 
ing to the state or degree in which they exist : Corns, splints, 
thrushes, bog-spavins, thorough-pins, wind-galls, crib-biting. — 
Curbs are unsoundness when it cannot be remedied by care and 
skill. Quidding, when a confirmed habit, injures the soundness 
of a horse. 

Defects, called blemishes, are : Scars from brokett knees, capped 
ho^ks, splints, bog-spavins, and thorough-pins ; loss of hair, from 
blisters or scars, enlargement from blows or cutting, and specks 
or streaks on the corners of the eye. 

Vices are : Restiveness, shying, bolting, running away, kick- 
ing, rearing, weaving or moving the head from side to side, string- 
halt, quidding, dipping the halter. 

On Dyeing. 

Dyeing is one of those domestic operations that 
every housekeeper occasionally has to resort to. It 
may a» well be remarked here that in all operations 
in dyeing great neatness should be observed ; not 
that kind however observed by the lady who told the 
girl to give the water pail, that she was using in 
mopping the floor, "a cold water rinse" before ghe 
brought water for tea, because she " abhorred nasii- 
ness." Everything to be dyed as well as all the 
vessels and utensils used should be perfectly clean. 
All articles to be dyed should be thoroughly washed 
and scoured with soap, and then thoroughly rinsed 
until the soap ia entirely washed out. 
M 



290 « Dyeing. 

The following information will be found useful in 
dyeing fabrics, as regards the colors they will take. 
If the material be 

Black — it can only be &jj£t\ black,; brown, dark 
green, dark crimson, dark claret, and dark olive. 

Bronm — can only be dyed black, dark brown, 
dark claret. 

Bark Green^bhtok, dark brown, dark gapen, 
dark claret, dark olive. 

Light Green — dark green, black, dark brown, 
dark crimson, dark claret, dark olive. 

Baric Crimson — black, -brown, dark crimson, dark 
claret. 

Light Crimson — will take the same as dark crim- 
son. 

Lawn — will take dark crimson, dark green, black, 
brown, dark claret. 

Bark Blue — black, brown, dark crimson, dark 
green, dark claret, dark olive, dark blue. 

Pale Blue — dark crimson, dark green, black, 
brown, claret, dark blue, dark olive, lavender, or- 
ange, yellow. 

Olive — will dye brown, black, dark green, dark 
crimson, dark claret. 

Lavender — black, brown, dark crimson, claret, 
lavender, olive, pink, dark green. 

Pink — olive, dark blue, dark fawn 



Dyeing. 291 

Rose — same as pink, also orange, scarlet, and gi- 
raffe. 

Straw — primrose and yellow will dye almost any- 
color required, as also will peach and giraffe. 

Gray — will only dye, besides black and brown, 
dark green, dark claret, dark crimson dark fawn, and 
dark blue. 

White silk, cotton .aid woolen goods can be dyed 
any color. As cotton, silk and wool all take dye 
differently, it Is almost impossible to re-dye a fabric 
of mixed stuff any color except the dark ones named 
above. As appears from the above list, pale blue 
will re-dye better than any other color. 

You get your materials all ready for a rag carpet, 
then you want rules to refer to, for preparing your 
colors. The following ten colors will make a beau- 
tiful carpet, and they will retain their brightness un- 
til the carpet is worn out. In these recipes use soft 
or rain water, and have the yarn thoroughly rinsed 
after dyeing. 

Madder Red fob Woolen Yarn.— For 2X pounds yarn, take 
% pound alum in sufficient water to cover the yarn, and boil the 
yarn in the solution for 2 hours, and then rinse, wring and dry it. 
Boil bran with 2 gallons of water and strain, add the liquor to 
the madder, which has been soaked in strong vinegar, enough to 
wet it, add sufficient water to allow the mixture to cover the 
yarn and bring the whole to a scalding heat. Put the yarn into 
the dye and let it scald for half an hour without getting hot . 
euough to simmer. 

When the yarn is removed from the dye it may be 

made of a bright red by washing it in soap suds, or 



292 Dy*eiifg. 

it may be made crimson by dipping it in weak lye 
slightly warmed. 

Blue. — One ouncte of pulverized indigo dissolved 
in six ounces of concentrated oil of vitriol makes 
what the druggists call sulphate of indigo, and what 
is known to the old fashioned dyers as " chymic." 
If the indigo be good and the acid sufficiently strong, 
the solution may be made in a glass bottle. For fear 
of failure in both these particulars, it is as well to 
buy the sulphate of indigo ready made from the drug 
stores. 

For 1 pound of yarn, dissolve % pound alum in sufficient watei 
to cover the yarn, add a little of the sulphate of indigo, put in 
the yarn, boil for a short time and rinse well. The depth of col or 
may he graduated by using more or less sulphate of indigo. 

Dark Brown. — Into a vessel large enough to contain the yarn- 
put white-walnut bark enough to half fill it. Fill up the vessel 
with water and boil for an hour. Take out the bark and put in 
the yarn and boil. Remove the yarn and air it, and if not dark 
enough, dip it in lye, increasing the strength of the lye if a very 
dark shade is wanted. A reddish brown may be given by adding 
a handful of camwood to the above. 

t^LiGHT Brown. — Proceed as for dark brown, using white ash 
bark instead of walnut, and dip the yarn in strong lye. The yarn 
as it comes out of the dye, may be nearly white, but the lye will 
darken it, and if one immersion is not enough, dip it again. The 
lye will not injure the yarn if it be thoroughly rinsed afterwards. 

Camwood Brown. — For 2 pounds of yarn, boil 1 pound of cam- 
wood in sufficient water to cover the yarn, until the color is ex- 
tracted. Put in the yarn and boil until it has taken the color, 
then remote it, add to the liquor X ounce oil of vitriol, and put 
in the yarn again and simmer. If not dark enough, add 1 or 2 
ounces of blue vitriol and simmer until the desired shade is ob- 
tained. 

Pink.— For 2 pounds yarn, take % of an ounce of cochineal, 1% 
ounces cream of tartar and 3 ounces of chloride of tin. This last 
may be had at the drug stores under the name of muriate of tin, 
or tin mordant. Soak the cochineal in a quart of warm water,and 
add it to warm water enough to cover the yarn, add the cream of 
tartar and the chloride of tin, and boil until the desired color U 
obtained. Double the cochineal Trill make scarlet. 



Dyeing. 293 

Lilac or Purple.— For each pound of yarn dissolve >£ pound 
of alum in sufficient water, and simmer the yarn for two or three 
hours. Make a dye of % pound Nicaragua wood for each pound 
of yarn by boiling out the wood in sufficient water. Put the yarn 
from the alum water into this dye and boil from 15 to 20 min- 
utes, remove and drain it, dip in strong lye and rinse well in cold 
water. 

Yellow. — Make a strong decoction of black-oak bark, eno ugh 
to cover the yarn, and for each pound of yarn add % pound of al- 
um, and 1 ounce of chloride of tin. Boil until the proper color is 
produced. 

Orange.— Proceed as for yellow, but add madder in sufficient 
quantity to produce an orange color. Or instead, for 1 pound of 
yarn take 1 ounce annotto, and \% ounces pearlash. Slice the an- 
notto into 4 quarts and dissolve the pearlash in an equal quantity, 
and mix the two liquids and boil. Put in the yarn and simmer 
15 or 20 minutes, and wash it in strong soap suds as soon as it 
com es from the dye. 

Green. — Prepare a yellow dye of black oak bark, as directed 
above, add gradually the sulphate of indigo, until the proper 
shade of green is produced, put in the yarn, stir well and let it 
boil. 

A Permanent Blue. 

The following process is said to produce a very 
fine, permanent blue. 

Boil the cloth in a brass kettle for an hour, in a solution con- 
taining 5 parts of alum and 3 of tartar for every 32 parts o f cloth. 
It is then to be thrown into warm water, previously mixed with 
a greater or less proportion of chemic blue, according to the 
shade the cloth is intended to receive. In this water it must be 
boiled till it has acquired the desired eolor. 

Here is another blue that is highly recommended. 

Take \% ounces prussiate of potash, 2 ounces copperas, each 
dissolved in 4 gallons of rain water as warm as you can hold your 
hand in. Pat your goods into the copperas water, and let stand 
5 or 10 minutes; wring out. Then put 2 tablespoonfuls of the oil 
of vitriol into the prussiate of potash water, and let it stand a 
sufficient length of time to produce the desired color. Wring out 
without rinsing. 

Blue Dye For Silks. 

Take a % pound oil of vitriol and turn it upon a % ounce of 
Spanish indigo that has been reduced to a fine powder. Stir them 
well together, then add a lump of pearlash, the size of a pea — as 
soon as fermentation ceases, bottle it. It will be ready for use 

For a greea dye, use doubl* the amount of indigo. 



294 Dyeing. 

These dyea will not answer for cotton goods as the 

vitriol rots the the threads. 

To dye a pale color, put to each quart of soft, warm -water that 
is to be used for the dye, ten drops of the above composition — if 
you wish a deeper color, more -vrill be necessary. Put in the arti- 
cles without crowding and let them remain in it till of good color. 
The dye stuff should be kept warm. Take the articles out with- 
out wringing ; drain as much of the dye out of them as possible, 
and then haug them to dry in a dry ehady place. They should be 
dried quickly or they will not look well. When perfectly dry, 
wash them in luke warm suds to k,>ep the vitriol from injuring 
the texture of the cloth. A little of • he'above composition mixed 
with yellow dye will make a lively, right green. 

Another Madder Red. 

The following preparation will give a very fine 
madder red : 

For each pound of cloth soak half a pound of madder in a brass 
kettle over night, with sufficient warm water to cover the cloth 
you intend to dye. Next morning put in two ounces of madder 
compound for every pound of madder. Wet your cloth and ring it 
out in clean water, then put it into the dye. Place the kettle 
over the fire and bring it slowly to a scalding heat, which will 
take about half an hour ; keep at this heat half an hour if a light 
red is wanted, and longer if a dark one, the color depending on 
the time it remains in the dye. W r hen you have obtained the col- 
or, rinse the cloth immediately in cold water. 

A Fixe Scarlet Red. — The following will pro- 
duce a fine scarlet red, that will fairly make your 
eyes water with its brightness : 

Bring to a boiliDg heat, in a brass kettle, sufficient soft water 
to cover the cloth you wish to dye ; then add 1% ounces cream 
of tartar for every pound of cloth. Boil a minute or two, add 2 
ounces lac dye and 1 ounce madder compound (both previously 
mixed in an earthen bowl,) boil five minutes ; now wet the cloth 
in warm water, wring it out and put it in the dye ; boil the whole 
nearly an hour ; take the cloth out and rinse it in clear, cold wa- 
ter. 

Another Green. — Here is another method of pro- 
ducing a deep green ; 

For every pound of cloth add Z% ounces of alum and 1 pound of 
fustic. Steep (not boil) till the strength is out ; soak the cloth 
till Unacquires a good yellow, then remove the chips, and add the 
c hemic blue by degrees till you have the desired color. 



Dyeing. 295 

Here is another shade of green : 

Make a dye of 1 pound of fustic, and sufficient water to over 3 
pounds of cloth or yarn. Let your article-, for col raid in 

this dye for two hours. Wrinc; out, and add to the dye a sufficient 
quantity of extract of.in&igq to make it the shade required. Let 
your cloth remain in twenty or thirty minutes. 

Yellow Byes. 

Here are several methods for coloring yellow : 

One-half pound sugar of lead dissolved in hot water ; }{ pound 
bi-chromate of potash, di»*olved in a vessel of wood, in cold wa- 
ter. Dip first in the lead water, then in the potash, until the col- 
or suits. 

Another Yellow. — The following will produce 
a fine yellow dye for five pounds of goods : 

Take sugar of lead, 7 ounces and dissolve in water; dip the 
goods two hours. Maize a new dye with bi-ehromate of potash 
-L ounces ; di ) until the color suits then Wring out and dry. If 
it is not sufficiently yellow, be repeated. 

Yellow for Silk.— For 1 pound of silk, take alum 3 ounces, 
sus;ar of lead % of an ounce. Immerse the goods and let stand 
over ni^hi, ; take out, drain, and make a new dye with fustic, 1 
pound. Dip in this last unti red coin- 'is obtained. 

The yellow or ^reen for wool works equally well 
on silk. 

Tne following will produce a good buff color : 

Boil equal parts of annotto and common potash in clear, soft 
water. When dissolved, take it from the fire ;"when cool, put it 
in the goods, which, as we have before said, should be v/ ashed 
clean, and be free from spots ; set them on a moderate fire, where 
they will keep hot until the goods are of the shade you wish, 

. The following is for salmon and orange color: 

Tie annotto in a bag, and soak it in warm, soft soap suds, till it 
becomes, soft so that you can squeeze enough of it through the 
bag to make the suds deep yellow ; put in the articles, boil them 
till of the shade you wish. There should be enough of the dye 
to C( --cr the goods ; stir them while boiling to prevent them from 
spotting. Draijt them out of the dye and dry them quickly in the 
shade : when dry, •■ ish them in soft soap suds. Goods dyed in 
this minis w .-hmld never in clear water. 

Pea< I ; all make a gQod straw or lem- 

on color, according to the strength of the dye. They should be 
steeped in , in an earthen or tin vessel, and then 

strained, and the dye set with alum and a little gum arable dis- 
solved in the dye if you wish to stiffen the article. 



296 Dy*tog. 

Sumac Colors. 

Tha following are some of the coloring capacities 
of the well known shrub, sumac : 

The bark boiled in soft water to which a solution of alum is 
added, produces a yellow. 

The shoots and leaves, cut in September and dried, boiled in 
iron, and set with a very little copperas, produces drab and slate 
colors on cotton a»d wool, according to the quantity used. 

The red berries or bobs prepared as the shoots and leaves, colfr 
a beautiful nutgall color. 

Butternut Brown.— Soak the bark in warm water several 
hours, then put in the woolen cloth alo«£ with the bark, and 
bring it slowly to a scalding heat, airing the cloth every half 
hour, u»til the strength of the bark is exhausted, but do not let 
it boil. You may temper tke shade of the browm by the quantity 
of the bark u*id. 

Red D yes. 

Madder makes a good durably red, but not a bril- 
liant color. To make a dye of it, proceed as follows: 

Allow for 3^ pound of the madder, 3 ounces of alum, and 1 
ounce cream of tartar, and 6 gallons of water. This proportion 
of ingredients will answer for 7 pounds of goods. Heat half the 
water scalding hot in a clean brass kettle, then put in the alum 
and cream of tartar and let them dissolve. When the water boils, 
stir the alum and tartar up in it, put in the goods and let them 
boil a couple of hours ; then rinse them in fair water ; empty the 
kettle and put in three gallons of water and the madder ; rub it 
fine in tfce water ; then put in the goods, and set them where they 
will keep scalding hot for an hour without boiling, then increase 
the heat mntil tkey boil. Let them boil five minutes, then drain 
them out of the dye, and rinse theai without wringing, in fair 
water, and hang them in the shade where they will dry. 

Slat© Color. 

To dye a good slate color use the following : 

Boil sugar-loaf paper with vinegar in an iron kettle. Put in 
al»m to set the color. Tea grounds set with copperas make a 
good slate. 

Black Dye. 

The following will give a very fine black for either 
cotton, silk or woolen goods. 

Take for each pound of goods that are to be dyed, 1 pound of 
logwood, soak over a^ght in soft water, then boil an hour, and 



Dyeing; 297 

strain the •water in which it is boiled. For each pound of log- 
wood, take 1 ounce blue vitriol, dissolve in luke-warm water suf- 
ficient to wet the goods. Dip the goods in; when saturated with 
it, and turn the whole into the logwood dye. 

For cotton goods— set the vessel on the fire and let the goods 
boil ten or fifteen minutes, stirring them constantly to prevent 
their spotting. Take the goods out and drain them without 
wringing, and hang them is a dry shady place, where they will 
have the air. When dry, set the color, by putting them into 
scalding hot water that has salt in it, in the proportion of a tea- 
cupful to 3 gallons of water. Let the goods remain till cold,then 
hang them where they will dry, without wringing. 

For silk or woolen goods, — go through the same process as 
above, only the goods must not be boiled in the dye-stuff, but 
should be kept at a scalding heat for 20 minutes. Set the c olor 
of silk goods with boiling hot soap suds — let them remain in it 
till cold. The eclor of woolen goods is set as above given for 
cotton goods. 

Another Black. — The following will produce a 

black that will not fade by exposure to th© sun, nor 

impart any of its color in fulling : 

Take blue vitriol 5 ounces; boil it a few minutes, then dip the 
goods % of an hour, airing often. Take out the goods and make 
a dye with 3 pounds logwood; boil % an hour ; dip % of an hour 
and air the goods, then dip % of an hour more. Wash in strong 
suds to set the color. The above proportions are calculated for 
6 pounds of woolen goods. 

To Color Wool Black.— For 10 pounds of wool boil together 
4 ounces bi-ehromate of potash and 3 ounces ground argal, and 
put in the wool. Stir well and let it remain in the dye 4 hours. 
Take out the wool and rinse slightly in clear water. Then make 
a dye by boiling 3)^ pounds logwood and 1 pint chamber lye 1 
hour, and let the wool lie in all night. Wash in clear water. 

Green. — A verj desirable green may be secured 
in this way : 

Boil together equal parts of yellow oak and hickory bark. — 
Add to the dye thus made extract of indigo, 1 tablespoonful at 
a time until you get the desired shade. 

Another Green. — For each pound of goods, steep one 
pound of fustic and 3% ounces of alum, until the strength is out, 
and soak the goods in the mixture until a good yellow is obtain- 
ed. Then after removing the chips add the extract of indigo, 1 
tablespoonful at a timo until the color suits. 



298 Dyeing. 

A Lively and Beautiful Drab, — Light colored 
fabrics — cotton, wool, silk or linen — such as gloves, 
stockings &c, may be dyed a beautiful drab as fol- 
lows : 

To a pint of rain water add 6 or 8 grains of nitrate of silver ;— 
when it is dissolved stir it well, and immerse the perfectly clean 
fabric. Stir it well with a clean stick until it is perfectly and 
evenly saturated. When thoroughly soaked, wring out quickly 
with the hands, they being instantly washed. Dissolve % ounce 
sulphuret of potassium in a pint of water, and saturate thft goods 
with it evenly and well. Then wash in clear water and it is fin- 
ished. For this dye glass vessels should be used. 

Snuff Brown. — The following will make a dark 
permanent snuff brown for 5 pounds of cloth or wool: 

Boil 1 pound camwood % of an hour, then dip the goods % of 
an hour. Take out the goods and add to the dye 2% pounds of 
fustic— boil 10 minutes and dip the goods again % of an hour- 
then add 4 ounces copperas and 1 ounce blue vitriol, and dip 
again half an hour. If not dark enough add more copperas. 

Another Blue. — We have already given one or 
two recipes for a blue dye. Here is another that is 
quick and permanent. The following ingredients 
are for 2 pounds of goods : 

Mix 5 ounces alum and 3 ounces cream tartar with water 
enough to cover the goods. Boil the goods in this for 1 hour ; — 
then'throw the goods into warm water, which has more or less 
of the extract of indigo in it 2 according to the depth of color de- 
sired, and boil again until it suits, adding more of the blue if 
needed to give the desired shade. 

To Color Stocking Yarn. 

Housekeepers who love to have the finest colors 
for their home made hosiery as well as the best of 
everything generally, use the following dye for col- 
oring stocking yarn between a purple and blue. — 
The following ingredients are for 5 pounds of yarn : 

Dissolve 1 ounce bi-chromate of potash and 2 ounces alum, in 
water and bring it to a boil, putting in the yarn and boiling one 



Dyeing. 299 

hour; then make another dye of 2}{ ounces logwood and boil the 
yarn 1 hour in it. The above process will be equally as good for 
silk. The more of the logwood extract used, the darker will be 
the shade. 

i 
Scarlet for Tarn or Cloth.— Take cream of tartar }£ ounce, 
cochineal well pulverized % ounce, muriate of tin 2% ounces. — 
Boil together and then put in the goods ; work them briskly for 
10 or 15 minutes, after which boil an hour and a-half, stirring the 
goods slightly while boiling. Take out and wash in clear water 
and dry in the shade. 

Lac Red. — We have already given several reci- 
pes for red dyes. Here is another that gives a very 
desirable shade : 

Boil 10 ounces of argal a few minutes, then mix 1 pound of lac 
fine ground, with 1% pounds muriate of tin and let them stand 2 
or 3 hours; add half of the lac to the argal dye and dip the goods 
for half an hour, then add the balance of the lac and dip again 1 
hour; keep the dye at a boiling heat until the last half hour when 
it may be allowed to cool off. 

SliVER Drab. — The following makes a very pret- 
ty color for silk or woolen goods, the ingredients be- 
ing calculated for 5 pounds of goods : 

Boil together 1 teatpoonful of logwood and the same amount 
of alum, then dip the goods one hour. If the shade is not dark 
enough add equal quantities of alum and logwood, until siuted. 

To Make Chemic. — The following is the rule for 
making good "chemic" or extract of indigo, which 
druggists generally keep on hand. It may be made 
and kept bottled for use, when wanted, as it im- 
proves by standing : 

Stir into % pound oil of vitriol, 2 ounces of finely ground indi- 
go, and continue to stir the mixture for half an hour. Cover it 
and let it stand for 2 or 3 days, stirring 3 or 4 times a day. Then 
to neutralize any excess of acid it may contain, stir in saleratus 
as long as it foams. Put into a glass vessel and cork tight, and 
it is ready for use. 

For Carpet Rags. 

The following directions are more especially giv- 



300 Dyeing. 

en in reference to carpet rags, which may in this 
way be changed from dark to light colors, at the op- 
tion of the dyer, premising always that the rags 
have been washed clean : 

Fer every 5 pounds of rags take muriate of tin % of a pound, 
and mix with it % pound lac. Dip the goods in this dye 2 hours, 
boiling half the time. This will give them a lac red. The same 

foods can be made a beautiful purple by adding a little logwood. 
»e careful and not get in too much. 

Much beauty may be added to the carpet by ta- 
king white rags in the skein and tying and coloring 
them red, green and purple. 

Black for Cotton Goods.— Boil 3 pounds sumac wood and 
bark for half and hour, and then steep the goods in it for 12 hours, 
and dip in lime water half an hour. Add 8 ounces copperas to 
til* sumac liquor and dip the goods another hour; then run them 
through the lime water again for 15 minutes. Now make anoth- 
er dye by boiling 2% pounds of logwood one hour, and dip the 
goods m it 3 hours; then add to the logwood dye 2 ounces of bi- 
chromate of potash, and dip one hour. Wash in clear cold water 
and dry in the shade. The above is calculated for 5 pounds of 
cloth. 

Sky Blue. — Boil 4 ounces of blue vitriol a few minutes, in suf- 
ficient water to dip 3 pounds of goods— dip the goods three hours, 
then pass them them through strong lime water. This color may 
be changed to a beautiful brown by putting the goods through a 
solution of prussiate of potash. 

Green for Silk, — A very handsome green may 
be given to silk with oak bark as follows : 

Boil 8 ounces yellow oak bark for half an hour, then turn off 
the liquor, add to it 6 ounces of alum and let it stand until cold. 
Have the goods previously colored a light blue, washed and dried. 
Dip them in the alum and bark dye. If necessary to make the 
color take well, warm the dye a little. The above is for 1 pound 
of silk goods. 

Mulberry for Silk.— For 1 pound of goods dissolve 4 ounces 
alum in sufficient water, and boil the goods one hour. Wash out 
and dip for half an hour in another dye made by boiling together 
1 ounce of Brazilwood and }{ ounce of logwood. After dipping, 
add more Brazilwood and logwood in equal proportions until the 
desired bhade is obtained. 



Dyeing. SOI 

Light Blue for Silk. — Dissolve % a tablespoonful of alum in 
a teacupful of hot water and pour into a gallon of cold water. — 
Add chemic a teaspoonful at a time until the desired color is ob- 
tained. The more chemic is used the darker will be tke color. 

Pueple foe Silk. — The above may be changed 
to a beautiful purple as follows : 

Having first obtained the light blue by dipping in the home 
made blue dye tub, and dried, dissolve 4 ounces of alum in suffi- 
cient water to cover the goods (1 pound of silk), and dip when 
the preparation is a little warm. If the color is not full enough 
add a little chemic. 

Cinnamon foe Cotton and Silk. — The follow- 
ing makes a very beautiful cinnamon or brown for 
silk or cotton. It is a new process and will be found 
worth trying : 

Dissolve 2 ounces of blue vitriol in 1 gallon of water, and in 
this dip the goods for 15 minutes. Then run it through lime 
water, and you have a beautiful sky blue of much durability. — 
Next dissolve 1 ounce of prussiate of potash in 1 gallon of water 
and run the goods through the solution and you have the desired 
color. 

Ceimson foe Silk. — The following makes a 
beautiful and durable crimson for one pound of silk : 

Dissolve 3 ounces of alum im enough water to cover the goods, 
and raise to about blood heat, then dip one hour. Take out and 
drain. Have prepared another dye by boiling 10 minutes, 3 
ounces cochineal, 2 ounces bruised nutgall and % ounce cream 
tartar in one pail of water. When a little warm be^in to dip, 
raising the heat to a boil, and dip one hour. Then wash and dry. 

Yellow foe Silk. — It may be noted here that 
the yellow or green dyes for woolen, work equally 
well on silk. 



gar of lead, in water to cover the goods, which should be im- 
mersed therein over night. Take out and drain; have ready a 
new dye made with fustic in which dip the goods until the desir- 
ed color is obtained. 



302 Dyeing. 

Orange for Silk. — The following simple pro- 
cess will give a very fine orange : 

Dissolve 1 ounce each of annato and soda in water enough to 
cover the goods, and repeat until the desired color is obtained. 

Rust Spots. 

Brown or rust spots that sometimes occur in col- 
oring silk or woolen goods, may be removed or pre- 
vented by the following process : 

Make a weak lye and have it scalding hot, and put your goods 
in for fifteen minutes. Or throw some ashes into your dye and 
run your goods in it five minutes. The spots will entirely disap- 
pear. 

Muriate of Tin. 

This article enters into many of the foregoing rec- 
ipes for dyes. If you cannot get it of the druggists, 
you can make it for yourself after the following rule, 
and keep it on hand for use whenever wanted : 

Take a piece of block tin as large as a walnut ; melt it and pour 
it from the height of a few feet into a pail of water, to reduce it 
to small particles, that the acids may the more readily act upon 
it. Take it from the water, dry it and put into a strong glass 
bottle. Pour over it 12 ounces muriatic acid. Then add 8 ounces 
sulphuric acid, slowly, say a tablespoonful at intervals of about 
five minutes, that you may not break the bottle by heat. After 
acid is all in and the cbulition has ceased, stop the bottle 
tight, with a glass stopper or otherwise, and in twenty-four hours 
itVill be ready for use. 

Lime Water. 

This is another article that comes in use frequent- 
ly in the preparation of dyes. It is made as follows: 

Slack 1 pound of stone lime in a pail of water; stir well ctndlet 
. it stand until it becomes clear, and then turn into a tub of water 
in which dip the goods. If strong lime water is wanted take 1% 
pounds lime instead of 1 pound as above. 

To Clean White Ostrich Feathers. 

The following will frequently be found useful in 



Sympathetic and Invisible Inks. 303 

case of accidental soiling of white plumes, or where 
they become soiled and faded from long usage : 

Four ounces of white soap, cut small, dissolved in 4 pints of 
water, rather hot, in a large basin; make the solution into a lath- 
er. Introduce the feathers, and rub well with the hands for fire 
or 6ix minutes. After this 6oaping wash in clear water, as hot 
as the hands can bear. Shake until dry. 

To Wash Scarlet Flannel. 

The following is a German plan for washing 
bright colored articles, without in the least injuring 
their color. It is said that if flannel is soaked in 
pure cold water before making up, it never shrinks 
at all. Get a washing trough filled from the pump, 
and in this place the flannel. As soon as it sinks 
to the bottom it is taken out and hung out without 
any squeezing. It drains itself, and does not lose 
the appearance of new flannel when dry. 

Take a handful of flour mixed with a quart of cold water, and 
boil ten minutes. Add it to the water you have ready to wash 
in. The articles will require many rinsings in clean water after 
being washed in this mixture; but if carefully done, the most 
brilliant scarlet will lose none of its brightness. 

To Refine Soap. 

Tlie following may be useful to somebody : 

Make a kettle of brine— 1 pint of common salt to 2 gallons of 
water. In 5 gallons of the brine boil 15 pounds of soap for two 
hours. When cold, cut in bars, scrape the sediment from the 
bottom of the bars, lay them on a sloping shelf to drain well, ex- 
posed to the sun for bleaching for a good while. 

Sympathetic and Invisible Inks. 

The use of these inks for pleasing experiments is 
a common thing, and they have sometimes been used 
for important purposes, carrying information through 
an enemy's lines, holding secret correspondence, &c. 



304 Byinjfttiietio and Invisible Infe. 

The following full classification and explanation, 
may be used by some for pleasure, and by others for 
profit : 

Sympathetic inks are of four kinds : 1; When 
the writing becomes visible by simply applying heat 
or atmospheric moisture or dryness. 2. When pe- 
culiar gases or rapors make it risible. 3. When 
solutions of chemical or other compounds accomplish 
the same thing. 4. When the simple action of light 
will make the writing or drawing visible (Photo- 
graphic preparations). 

First Class.— No. 1. Black Sympathetic Ink.— Dissolve equal 
parts of muriate of ammonia and sulphate of copper, in as 
little water as they will dissolve in. At common temperature, 
the writing with this is invisible. Warm it, and the writing will 
appear, and disappear again when taken into common tempera- 
ture. Heat it quite hot and the writing becomes a permanent 
black. 

No. 2. Bid Sympathetic Ink. — Nitrate of the deutoxide of 
copper. A weak solution forms an invisible writing, which be- 
comes red by heating. 

No. 3. Yelhw Sympathetic Ink. — Chloride of copper. A very 
dilute solution is used, invisible till heated. To make it, dissolvo 
equal parts of blue vitriol and sal ammoniac in water. 

No.. 4. Telle d and Green Ink.— Nitrate of nickel and chloride 
of nickel. A weak solution forms an invisible ink which becomes 
green by heating when the salt contains traces of cobalt, which 
usually is the case ; when pure, it becomes yellow. 

No. 5. Green and Bed Ink. — Chloride of cobalt. A properly 
diluted solution will produce a pink writing which will disappear 
when thoroughly dry, become green when heated, disappear 
when cold, and pink again when damp. When often or strongly 
heated it will at last become brown red. 

No. 6. Blue Ink. — Acetate of the protoxide of cobalt. When 
the solution of this salt contains nickel or iron, the writing made 
by it will become green when heated ; when it is pure and free of 
these metals it becomes blue. 

No. 7. Light Brown Ink.— Bromide of copper. Perfectly invis- 
ible writing, which appears very promptly by a slight heating, 
and disappears perfectly by cooling. To prepare it, take one 
part bromide of potassium, one part blue vitriol, eight parts wa- 
ter. It is better also to discolor the blue vitriol with one part of 
alcohol. 



Sympathetic and Invisible Inks. 305 

Amusing Application. — A winter scene may be 
so executed that the green leaves of the trees and 
a^id the grans on the foreground are painted with ink 
made from cobalt and nickel solution, No. 6 : the 
red berries and flowers with No. 2, yellow flowers 
and fruit with No, 3, and the blue flowers with pure 
cobalt, 6. When such a picture is slowly and care- 
fully heated, the invisible parts of the plants become 
visible, and it is as if the heat changed the winter 
into a summer scene. There are several other sub- 
stances which may be used for invisible writing, 
which become visible by heating — lemon and onion 
juice, milk, diluted sulphuric acid, etc., etc. 

Second Class. — No. 1. Dark Brown Ink. Acetate of lead. A 
drawing or writing with a strong solution of this salt becomes 
dark brown by exposure to sulphide of hydrogen gas. 

No. 2. Dark Blue Ink. — Iodide of potassium and starch. Wri- 
ting with this becomes blue by the least toueh of acid vapors in 
the atmosphere. It is in fact the celebrated ozone test. To make 
it, boil starch and add a small quantity of iodide of potassium in 
solution. 

No. 3. Light Blue Ink. — Sulphate of copper. A very diluted so- 
lution will produce an invisible writing which will turn light blue 
by vapors of ammonia. 

No. 4. Med Ink. — Soluble compounds of antimony will become 
red by sulphide of hydrogen vap«r. 

No. 5. Yellow Ink. — Soluble compounds of arsenic and per ox- 
ide of tin will become yellow by the same vapor. 

No. 6. Flesh-colored Ink. -Soluble compounds of manganese be- 
come flesh-colored by the same vapor. 

No. 7. Blood-red Ink. — An acid solution of chloride of iron is 
diluted till the writing is invisible when dry. This writing has 
the remarkable property of becoming red by smlpho-cyanide va- 
pors, and it disappears by ammonia, and may alternately be 
made to appear and disappear by those two vapors. To make 
this experiment more striking, take two wide-mouthed jars, oae 
with some liquid ammonia on the bottom, the other with some 
strong sulphuric acid and sulpho-cyanide of potassium. The 
last salt is added from time to time in a small quantity. 

Amusing Application. — As lead, antimony, ar- 



306 Domestic Wines. 

senic and manganese, Nos. 1, 4, 5, and 6 above, all 
'become respectively brown, red, yellow, and pink, 
by sulphide of hydrogen vapors, a drawing may be 
made with solutions of the salts of those metals, 
which will show the different colors when exposed 
to those . vapors. However, they do not disappear 
again, like the sympathetic inks of the hrst class. 

To make the sulphide of hydrogen gas, pour some 
diluted sulphuric acid on powdered black sulphide 

olution of 

I urn 1)1 ack 

■-wood, will 

a;-] i, red by 

fife willi one of 

ad to make it' visible wash it by means of a 

. i Willi an iron solution. 

Fourth Cn\ss.— This class belongs to the photographic de- 

:; . One of the simplest preparations is a diluted sohi - 

-(ion or niiratc or' sliver used on paper which ha. : been pjM '• 

bed with Bqa-water or some other diluted salt solution. — 
inis writing will become black by exposure to ii^'h 1 -. 

Domestic Wines. 

The past few years have witnessed many changes, 
one of the most marked of them all is the change 
that lias come Over people in reference to the con- 
sumption of the co-called foreign wines. The vari- 
■ of domestic wines that are now made will ac- 
count for this change measurably. A very nice ar- 
ticle of sherry is made trom the common rhubarb or 
pie plant, and its manufacture has become a large and 
important business in many localities. The follow- 
ing is the process for manufacturing 



Domestic Wines. 307 

Tie Plant Wine. — Trim off the leaves and grind and press the 
stalks in any cider mill. To each gallon of juice add 1 gallon of 
•water and six pounds of refined sugar, and ii 1 1 the cask, leaving 
the bungs out. A moderately cool cellar is the best place to keep 
it. Fill up occasionally either from juice kept on purpose, or 
■with sweetened water, so that impurities v.hieh rise to the sur- 
face while fermentation is going on, may he st erked off Win I 
.ficiently fermented, which will require from one to two months, 
hung tightly and let it remain until winter, when it may be 
racked off into other casks, or bottled. Some persons refiiie if 
before bottling, by putting into each barrel two ounces of isin- 
glass dissolved in a quail of wine. 

The manufacture of this wine was inaugurated in 
this country by the late B. P. Calioon of this city 
(Kenosha), and the above is his process. 

Here, is another method : 

For every 4 pounds of the stalks cut fine pour on 1 gal; 
boiling water, adding 4 pounds brown sugar; let it stand 6o 
24 hours having added also a little cinnamon, allspice, < 
and nutmeg bruised as may be desired for flavoring. Stea .. 
stand a few days and bottle. 

Another Method. — Peel and slice the stalk of the leaf as for 
piejaf; put a very small quantity of water in Hie. vessel, just enough 
to cover the bottom ; cover the vessel and bring to a slight boii. 
Then strain, pressing out all the liquid ; to this, liquid add an 
equal quantity of water, and to each ganon of the mixture i 
pounds good brown sugar; set aside, ferment and skim. Leave 
in the casks and in bulk as long as possible before using. All 
wine is better kept in ca*ks. 

Rhubarb Cordial. — The following makes a warm 
cordial, laxative medicine, good in weakness of the 
stomach and bowels, and for regulating and strength- 
• ening the whole viscera : 

Take of sliced pie plant or rhubarb 5 ounces ; lesser cardamon 
seeds, bruised and Busked, 1 ounce ; saffron 4 drams ; S] 
white wine 4 pints; proof spirits 1 pint. Digest for ten clays and 
strain. 

Currant Wine. 

The most common of the domestic wines, and 
probably the best, i« made of the common red cur- 



90S Domestic Wines. 

rant. When well made it is a good substitute foi 
any of the still wines. 

Pick your currants clean and as free from stems and leaves as 
possible, and express the juice with whatever facilities you have. 
After you have pressed out all the juice you can, pour on to the 
crushed fruit as much boiling water as you have of the juice, or 
if you waat more body to your wine, less. Let it stand 2 hours, 
and then press out and mix with the juice. To each gallon of 
the mixture add 4 pounds good brown sugar. Pour into your 
cask and let it stand 3 or 4 weeks, or until it has worked, with i 
bung hole simply covered with a piece of gauze to keep out flies, 
etc. When it has done working bung it up till you are ready to 
bottle. When bottled lay the bottles on their sides in the cellar. 

Some persons use but one-quarter juice in making 

currant wine, but the excellence of the wine will be 

in about the proportion of currant juice used, the I 

less water is put into it the better it will be. 

Blackberry Wine. 

There is no wine equal to the blackberry wine, 
when properly made, either in flavor or for medical 
purposes, and all persons who can conveniently do 
so should manufacture enough for their own use ev- 
ery year, as it is invaluable in sickness as a tonic, 
and nothing is a better remedy for bowel diseases. 

The following process for making blackberry wine 
is recommended by a gentleman who for three years 
has made the best blackberry wine we ever had the 
pleasure of tasting, and we are glad to be able to 
furnish it to the patrons of this book. 

To each quart of juice, take 3 quarts of water and 3 pounds of 
sugar — brown will do. If you have plenty of juice, you can use 
less water and it will much improve the quality. One bushel of 
berries, if good, will make ten gallons. Mix thoroughly, strain, 
and put into a strong cask, which should be well cleansed and fu- 
migated. The cask must be full, to allow the refuse to work out 
during the process of fermentation. You must fill up the cask 






Domestic Wines, 300 

thrice a day with fresh water, so that the refuse will all run out. 
Put a spigot into the cask before putting in the wine, and slant 
it enough to prevent the dr^gs from running out when you are 
racking off. Cork the cask tightly after it has fermented, unless 
you should choose to fill it into champaign bottles, cork and 
wire them, and then seal. This will give you a sparkling wine, 
vastly superior to any Catawba, and much cheaper. 

Here is another that is claimed by those who hare 
used both, to be the best : 

Measure your berries and bruise them ; to every gallon adding 
a quart of boiling water. Let the mixture stand twenty-four 
hours, stirring occasionally ; then strain off the liquor into a cask, 
to every gallon adding 2 pounds of sugar ; cork tight and let it 
stand till the following October, and you will have wine ready 
for use, without further straining or boiling, that will make lips 
smack, that never smacked under similar influences before. 

Still Another. — Having procured berries that are fully ripe, 
put them in a large vessel of wood or stone, with a cock in it, and 
pour upon them as much boiling water as will cover them. As 
soon as the heat will permit, put the hand into the' vessel, and 
bruise the berries well, till they are all broken. Then let them 
stand covered till the berries begin to rise towards the top, which 
they generally do in three or four days. Then draw off the clear 
liquor into another vessel, and add to every 10 quarts of this liq- 
uor, 1 pound of light brown sugar. Stir it well and let it stand 
to work a week or ten days in another vessel. Take 4 ounees 
isinglass and lay it|to steep twelve hours in a pint of white wine. 
The next morning boil it over a slow fire till all is dissolved. Take 
a gallon of blackberry juice, put in the dissolved isinglass — give 
them, a boil together, and pour all into the vessel. Let it stand 
a few days to purge and settle, tken draw it off and keep in a 
eool place. 

Another Method. — Take ripe blackberries, press the juice 
from them and let it stand about a day and a half to ferment, 
(light covered,) and skim off whatever rises to the top ; then to 
every gallon of juice add 1 quart of water and three pounds of 
rood brown sugar, or if yo» want it very niee take white sugar. — 
Let it stand twenty-four hours, skim and strain, then barrel it. 
After standing about nine hours it should be racked off, bottled, 
and corked close. Age will improve it. 

Compound Wine. 

A most excellent wine, secomd to none for fimilj 
use, is made as follows : 

Take equal part6 of red, white and blackcurrants, ripe cherries 
and raspberries, well bruised and mixed with soft water in the 
proportion of 4 pounds of fruit te 1 gallon of water. When 
•trained and pressed, add 3 pounds^ of moist sugar to each gallon 
of the liquid. After straining, open f#r three days, during which 



310 omestic Wines. 

time stir frequently. Then put in a cask and let it stand two 
roikr; then add a ninth part of brandy and bung the 
up. In a few months it will be ready for use. 

i Currant Wine. 

" cold, soft water, 10 gallons, black currants, 6 gallons, 
berries, 3 gallons. Ferment and strain. Mix raw 'sugar, 25 
gonads; red tartar, in fine powder, 6 ounces, orange, thyme, 2 
haudiuls, then add 2 or 3 quarts of brandy to make 18 gallons. 

Apple Wine. 

The following is said to make a healthy, palata- 
ble wine. 

To every gallon of apple juice, immediately from the press, add 
2 pounds i r, and boil as lung as any scum rises ; then 

strain it through a scire and let it cool ; let it work in the tub 
for 2 or 3 weeks, then skim off the head, draw it clear off and 
turn it. When made a year rack it off, and reline it with isin- 
glass :st rectified spirit of wine to every 8 
gallons. _ 

Older Wins. 

The following process for making cider wine, or 
apple champagne (not sAawi-pagne) is none the 
worse for being old. It was communicated some 
years since by the celebrated chemist, Prof. Hors- 
ford, to the Massachusetts State Horticultural Soci- 
ety. Whoever will take the trouble to follow the 
directions exactly, will be rewarded with success, 
and at a very small cost besides the care, will have 
just as good wine as they could buy at the liquor 
stores for $1.50 a pint bottle, with the advantage of 
knowing that it contains no poisonous drugs or rot 
gut whiskey : 

Let the new cider from sour apples, (ripe, sound fruit, of course) 
nt from one to three weeks, as the weather is warm or cool. 
i it has attained to a livelyTcrmentatiou, add to each gallon, 
ting to its acidity, from ^ pound to 2 pounds white crushed 
, and let the whole ferment till it possesses precisely the 



Domestic Wines. 311 

taste which it is desired should he permanent. In this condition, 
pour out a quart of the eider and add for each gallon % ounce of 
mflphite of lime, not sulphate, remember. Stn 
der until intiraat 
menl I 

oncarefully, to a \ old 

which is better, it will become a opa. . 

he kept indefinitely Ion?. 

Ginger Wine. 

The following preparation makes a delicious and 
safe beverage, that for all practical purposes is far 
better than half the stuff you buy at the liquor stores 
for wine, under imposing foreign names, put up in 
mysterious, foreign-looking bottles. 

Put into a nice boiler 10 'gallon's of water, 15 pounds of lump 
sugar, bites of S egg6, -well beaten and strains!. 

all well while cold. When the liquor boils, skim it well, and add 
half a pound of ginger root, bruised, and boil it tv. -eniy minutes. 
Have ready the rinds, cut very thin, of 7 lemons, and pour 1 he hot 
liquor on uiem. When cool, put it in your ca?k with two spoon * 
fuls of yeast. Put a quart of the warm liquor to 2 ounces <■■' 
i;lass shavings; whisk well three or four times and put 
barrel with ligations pure spirits. Next day stop it up ; in 
weeks bottle it, and in three weeks more it will i use; 

Another Ginger Wine. — Hero are directions* 
for another ginger wine that is said to be suitable 
for all purposes for which any wine is used, for med- 
ical purposes. A half pint taken hot on going to 
bed will be a capital thing for a cold. For females 
in a weakly condition with little or no appetite, 
spare in flesh, with all the symptoms of indigestion* 
a wineglass of this wine taken about 20 minutes be- 
fore meals and followed up for a month, will act like 
a charm ; imparting new life to the tor.pi n 
organs, and giring a health 



312 To Make Good Oidef. 

Take 98 per cent, alcohol 1 quart, best ginger root bruised 1 
ounce, cayenne pepper ground 5 grains, tartaric acid 1 drachm; 
mix and let stand one week and draw off carefully from the sed- 
iment. Then add 1 gallon of water in which 1 pomnd of crushed 
sugar has been boiled ; mix when cold. Any quantity may be 
made by U6ing the same proportions. 

To give it the wine color, (though it is just as 
good uncolored,) use the following: 

Boil X ounce of cochineal, % ounce cream of tartar, ^ ounce of 
alum, in 1 pint of water until you get a bright red. Use enough 
of this to give the wine the desired color. 

To make Good Cider. 

As a general thing farmers do not take pains 
enough in making cider to ensure a good article. — 
And that is the reason that we have so much poor 
cider, that sours before it is fit to drink. The follow- 
ing general rules, if followed out as they should be, 
will under ordinary circumstances ensure good cider; 
they demand a little more trouble than the ordinary 
mode of collecting and mashing apples of all sorts, 
dirty and clean, rotten and sound, sweet and sou*, 
from the tree and the ground, and the rest of the 
slovenly process usually employed : 

1. Always choose perfectly ripe and sound fruit. 

2. Pick the apples by hand. An active boy with a bag slung 
over his shoulders, will soon clear a tree. Apples that have lain 
any time on the soil contract an earthy taste, which will always 
be found in the cider. 

3. After sweating, and before ground, wipe them dry, and if 
any are found bruised and rotten, put them into a heap by them- 
selves, for a poorer quality of cider, to make vinegar. 

4. Always use hair cloths instead of straw to place between the 
layers of pomace. The straw, when heated, gives a disagreeable 
taste to the cider. 

5. As the cider runs from the press, let it pass through a hair 
seive, into a large open vessel, that holds as much juice as can be 
expressed in one day. In a day, or soraetimes less, the pomace 
will rise to the top, and in a short time grow very thick. When 
little white bubbles break through it, drav off tb,e liquor by a 



Srape Wile. 313 

spiggot placed about three inches from the bottom, so that the 
lees may be left quietly behind. 

6. The cider must be drawn off into very clean sweet casks and 
closely watched. The moment the white bubbles before men- 
tioned are perceived rising to the bung-hole, rack it again. When 
the fermentation is completely at an end, fill up the cask with ci- 
der, in all respects like that contained in it, and bung it up tight, 
previous to which a tumbler of sweet oil may be poured into the 
DUDghole. 

Grape Wine. 

The manufacture of the various wines from the 
juice of the grape is coming to be a by no means un- 
important branch of industry in this Country. All 
the process of the vineyard, the wine manufactory, 
the wine cellar, etc., cannot of course be given in 
such A work as this, but for the domestic manufac- 
ture of wine from the grape for home use, the follow- 
ing instructions will be sufficient : 

Take ripe, freshly pricked and selected grapes, 20 pounds ; put 
them into a stone jar and pour over them 6 quarts boiling soft 
water; whfen sufficiently cool to allow it, squeeze them thorough- 
ly with the hand. Allow the whole to stand three day3 on the 
pomace, with a cloth thrown over tile jar, then squeeze out the 
juice and add 10 pounds nice crushed s«gar, and let it remain a 
week longer in the jar; then take off the scum, 6tram and bottle, 
leaving a vent until done fermenting, when strain again and bot- 
tle tight, and lay the bottles on their sides in a cool place. 

Grape wine should be allowed to remain for a long , 
period in oak casks, after it is made, before it is bot- 
tled, otherwise it will be comparatively sour to the 
taste. This is owing to the great quantity of tar- 
trate of potash in the juiee of the grape. " When 
standing in a wooden cask the tartrate is deposited 
from the wine and adheres to the interior surface of 
the vessel, and it forms a thick and hard atony crust 
ealled " argal," This is thaqpfetfiutaB 6f v&Wk oqir 
V 



S14 Grape Wine. 

cream-of-tartar and tartaric acid are made. In its 
crude state it is employed by silk and woolen dyers 
in producing scarlet, purple and claret colors, in con- 
junction with cochineal and logwood. This explains 
the cause of wines becoming sweeter the longer they 
stand in casks in a cool situation. 

Wine may be made of the juice of the sorghum 
cane by permitting it to ferment for a short period 
in the same manner as has been described for cider* 
then closing up the cask tight to prevent the access 
of air. The fermentation of all saccharine juices is 
due to the combination, chemically, of the oxygen 
of the air with some of the carbon in the sugar of 
the juice. A small quantity of alcohol is thus gen- 
erated and absorbed by the fermented juice. Car- 
bonic acid gas is also generated ; when absorbed by 
the liquid and retained under pressure, this gas im- 
parts the sparkling property of wine. When the 
saccharine juices are undergoing fermentation they 
must be tasted frequently for the purpose of arrest- 
ing the fermentation at the proper stage, because 
there are two stages of fermentation, called the vi- 
nous and acetous. The first is that in which alco- 
hol is produced, the second, vinegar. Many artifi- 
cial wines have a slight vinegar taste, which is caus- 
ed by allowing the fermentation to proceed too far. 
These hints will be useful to those who prepare 
light domestic wines. These are now made very 



Strawberry Wine. 315 

generally, and are held to exert a favorable influence 
in many cases of dyspepsia. 
Strawberry Wine. 

Next to blackberries, strawberries make the best 
of the berry wines. The following is the process of 
making it : 

To 1 gallon of juice, strained, add 2>£ pounds of sugar— no wa- 
ter ; let it stand in an open vessel twenty-four hours, occasion- 
ally skimming off the scum thatjrises. Then fill the cask in which 
it is put, full, reserving: enough to fill up, as in process of ferment- 
ation it runs over. When the fermentation is completed, stop 
tightly. Let it stand three months ; draw off and bottle. 

For the Harvest Field. 

Many wish something other than water during the 
hot days of summer, and there are many drinks in 
use which serve to allay thirst more readily than the 
same amount of pure water. All of these popular 
beverages contain vegetable acids in a dilute state, 
and these, when taken in moderation, are both cool^ 
ing and tonic. The very general use of lemonade, 
which may be taken as a type of these drinks, is due 
to something more than its agreeable taste, and is 
popular testimony to the refrigerant property of cit- 
ric^acid, qualified by sugar. Some of the acid fruits 
may be made to furnish cooling and pleasant bever- 
ages. Currants, dried, will be found very conven- 
ient, as their acid is very refreshing, and a large sup- 
ply may be put up with very little expenditure for 
sugar. Where the Barberry is common, a most ex- 
cellent material for summer beverages may be stored 
up. 



316 BiSjrtftrfy Stob. 

The fruit simply preserved in sugar, makes a sort of conserve, 
which, infused in boiling water give* a palatable drink ; but the 



keep a long time. Added to water in palatable quantity, it is not 
only pleasaat in health but very useful as a drink in fevers. 

Raspberry Shrub. 

This is one of the nicest and pleasantest ifimmer 
drinks that can be made m the family. Prepared in 
the following way, it may be kept for years: 

Place raspberries in a jar and cover with strong vinegar, and set 
in a cool place for twenty-four hours. The next day add as many 
more berries as the vinegar will cover, and so for a third day. — 
After the last berries have been in for a day, set the jar in a kettle 
of water, and bring it to a scald, and then strain out the juice 
through a flannel. Add one pound of white sugar to each 1>£ 
pints of juice, and heat in a tin or porcelain vessel to the boiling 
point, skim, and bottle. Do not boil any longer than is neces- 
sary to remove the scum. 

Diamond Syrup. 

The following forms a chea p*and delicious bever- 
age, much better and healthier than soda water, is 
easily made> andean be kept any length of time with- 
out deteriorating. It should be kept in a glass ves- 
sel as metal of any kind would spoil it : 

Take 1 gallon water, 6 pounds loaf sugar, 6 orfnees tartaric acid 
and 1 ounce gum arabic, mix and bring to a blood heat. Beat up 
4 teaspoonfuls of flour and the whites of 4 eggs, and add % pint 
of water in another vessel. When the mixture in the first vessel 
is blood warm, put in the contents of the second vessel and let it 
boil three minutes, when it will be ready for use. 

To Use It.— Take 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of the syrup to a glass 
half or two-thirds full of water, and stir in one >£ teaspoonful of 
pulverized super-carbonate of soda. 

Pocket Lemonade. 

The following will be found not only " mighty 
convenient " for travelers, but a real healthy, luxu- 
riant beverage : 






Periian Sherbet. 817 

Powder very fine, in a porcelain mortar, % onnce tartaric acid 
and 3 ounces of loaf sugar, and add essence of lemon % drachm, 
by a few drops at a time, stirring the mixture after each addition 
till the whole is added, then mix thoroughly and divde into 12 
equal parts, wrapping each up separately in white paper. When 
waatftd for use, dissolve in a tumbler of cold water, and you will 
have a good lemonade. 

Another. — The following seems to be about the 
same thing in different proportions : 

Loaf sugar, 1 pound ; rub it down finely in a mortar, and add 
citric acid X ounce, and lemon essence % ounce. Continue the 
trituration until all is intimately mixed and bottle for use. When 
dried, it can be wrapped up in paper and carried in your pocket. 

A rounding tabkspoonful of this is taken to make 
a half-pint of lemonade. 
Persian Sherbet. 

The following makes a very agreeable effervescing 
summer drink, and is recommended as being healthy: 

Pulverized sugar, 1 pound ; super-carbonate of soda 4 ounces ; 
tartaric acid 3 ounces. Put all the articles into the stove oven 
when moderately warm, being separate, upon paper or plates ; 
let them remain until all moisture is dried outj then rub about 40 
drops of lemon oil thoroughly with the sugar in a mortar, then 
add the soda and acid, and continue the robbing until all are thor- 
oughly mixed. Bottle and cork tight. To a tablespoonful of 
this mixture add nearly a tumbler of water and drink quickly. 

Cream Soda. 

By the following method you may hare as nice a 
glass of cream soda as you ever drank, without any 
fountain, and that you can drink at your leiaure as 
the preparation holds the gas for some time : 

JFake coffee sugar 4 pounds, water 3 pints, 3 nutmegs grated, 
the whites of 10 eggs, well beaten, gum arabic % ounce, oil of 
lemon 20 drops, or extract equal to that amount. By using oils 
or extracts of other fruits you can vary the flavor to suit the taste. 
mix all and place on a gentle fire for half *n hour,'stirring all tha 
time. Remove from the fire, strain and divide into two equal 
parts ; into one half put 8 ounces super-carbonate of soda, and in 
the other half 6 ounces tartaric acid. Shake well, and when cold 
they are ready for use, by pouring three or four spoonfuls from 
both parts into different tumblers which are one third full of cool 
water. Stir each and pour togethejr and drink at your leisure. 



318 Home-Made Candy. 

Imitation Preserved Ginger. 

The following is an excellent substitute for the 
real West India importation, which is considered a 
great delicacy, but is very expensive. This substi- 
tute improves by keeping : 

Scrape well and split in halves young yellow carrots, and cut 
into the shape of West India ginger, as we see it preserved. Par- 
boil them and do not let them lose their shape. Drain thor- 
oughly and let them lie over night on platters inclined so as to 
allow them to drain. Weigh and put with them an equal weight 
of " syrup of ginger," which may be obtained from any respect- 
able chemist. Let them simmer slowly over a low fire for four 
hours. Fill the preserve pots, taking care to fairly apportion 
both vegetables and syrup. Tie down with bladder or otherwise 
seal tightly. 

Home-Made Candy. 

The following rule for making a very nice candy 
at home, when you will have the advantage of know- 
ing that it contains no improper substances, will fre- 
quently be found convenient : 

To 1 cup coffee sugar add 1 cup cider vinegar. If the vinegar 
be very sour, put in one-third water. -Boil fifteen or twenty min- 
utes, then work till white. 

Molasses Candy, 

The following process will make a fine molasses 
candy without color, butter or lard, and without any 
flavoring material, though it may be flavored to suit 
the tase, if thought desirable : 

Take equal quantities of good brown sugar and best molasses ; 
put them into a porcelain kettle, and when it begins to boil, skim 
it well and strain it, or pour it through a fine wire seive ; then 
return it to the kettle and continue to boil, until the candy when 
suddenly cooled, will be perfectly brittle, and does not adhere to 
the teeth when bitten. When done, pour it on a platter or plate, 
which has been greased, and as it gets cool, begin to throw up 
the edges and work it by pulling on a hook or with the hand, un- 
til bright and glistening like gold. Put a little flour on the hand 
occasionally. If much is made, keep the mass by a warm stove 
while drawing it into sticks, occasionally rolling them to keep 



How to Pop Corn. 319 

them round, until all is pulled out and cold, then with shears 
clip a little upon them, and they will break quickly, while the 
stick will bend. 

How to Pop Corn. 

Here is one way to pop corn that is claimed by 
some people as the best way. 

Heat lard in the same manner as for frying " doughnuts," and 
throw in half a pint or such a matter of the " eight row 'tucket 
corn," and cover immediately, to prevent the kernels from flying 
out on the floor. In an instant pop-pop, popping will commence, 
such as you never heard before. A minute after the popping 
ceases, take off the cover, and dip out with a skimmer, draining 
off the grease, and turn into a seiv«, and put upon a pan to drain. 
The pan should be kept upon the stove so that the corn will re- 
tain its heat long enough for the lard to run off, otherwise it will 
be greasy. While cooling, salt to your taste. 

A Better Way. — We think a better way to pop 
corn is to take the small k 'pop corn" and a good 
corn popper that costs only a quarter of a dollar. — 
Nearly every kernel will turn out as white as snow. 
Pour into a tin pan and set it in the stove oven a 
few minutes, and it will be crisp and brittle. 
Pop Corn Balls. 

If you wish to make the above into delicious pop 
corn balls, proceed as follows : 

Boil 1 pound of sugar with a little water, until it becomes waxy 
when dropped in water, then remove from the fire and dip into 
it half a dozen tablespoonfuls of gum arabic solution made quite 
thick by pouring boiling water upon the gum. Pour the mixture 
on to the popped corn and stir it up, that all may come in contact 
with the syrup ; then make the corn into balls by rolling in the 
hand as you would a snow ball. 

Another Method. — Here is another method that 
is much simpler, while it may be just as good. Try 
it and see : 

Pop the corn in a kettle. While it is hot pour in some molas- 
ses of good quality. Keep it on the fire and stir briskly. After 
sirring five or ten minutes, take the corn off the fire, and as it 



330 Pftrfoae for tfae BfrikenMrt 

tool* form It ftlto bells with the ha»d». Hare *eady some eoi'ii 
parched in the usual way, and roll the warm ball in ft. 

Substitute for Dream. 

The following preparation will be almost as good 
for any pudding in which eggs are used, as good, 
rich cream, and much better than thin cream : 

Boil % of a pint, of sweet milk— new milk is best. Beat the 

f'dlk of 1 qgg, and a level teaspoonful of flour, with sugar enough 
o make the cT«*m very sweet. When the milk boils, stir this 
into it, and let it begin to simmer, stirring it ; let it cool amd fla- 
vor to the taste. 

Scalded Cream. 

This is one of the delicacies that our English 
cousins indulge in, under the name of Cornwall 
cream. This process is generally used in Devon- 
shire, in dairies of 6 or 8 cows, and the cream finds 
a ready market in Loudon, at the same price as but- 
ter: 

Strain the milk into tin pans, (those holding 8 or 10 quarts are 
the most convenient,) and let it stand 10 ©r 12 hours. Then care- 
fully place it on the stove, or, to prevent the milk from burning, 
on a pot of boiling vrater ? until it is scalding, hot, but not made 
%o boil. Carefully carry it back te the dairy or milk room, and 
1st stand IP or 12 bours 1 onger, skim it, and you will have cream 
equal to any in Cornwall. 

Perfum© for the Handkerchief. 

The folowing preparation makes a rery choice 
perfume for toilet purposes, and would be preferred 
by many to the »« night blooming cereus" itself: 

Take 1 pint best cologne spirits, X ounce oil jessamine, 3£ ounce 
oil geranium, % ounce extract of musk, or those that pref^ it 
»ay add six drops otto of rose instead ; mix and bottle tight. 

Tincture of Roses. 

To make a tincture of roses that will last for years 



How to Extract the Odor of Bowers. 321 

and yield a perfume but little inferior to otto of ro- 
ses, try the following : 

Take a quantity of the leaves of the common rose, and place 
without pressing them, in a common bottle ; pour some good , 
spirits of wine upon them, close the bottle and let it stand till re- 
quired for use. 

To Make Rose Water. 

When the roses are in full bloom, pick the leaves carefully off, 
and to every quart of water put a peck of the leaves ; put them 
in a cold still over a slow fire, and distill slowly ; then bottle the 
water ; let it stand two or three days and cork it closely. 

To Extract the Odor of Flowers. 

Here is another method of securing the odor of ro- 
ses and other flowers, by which ladies may secure 
themselves genuine perfumes, and at the same time 
have a few hours pleasant employment. . Roses, and 
all flowers containing oils — most highly perfumed 
flowers contain a large quantity of oil — may be made 
to yield their aromatic properties by steeping the pet- 
als in a saucer or a flat dish of water and setting it 
in the sun. 

Cover the petals entirely with waW — rain water wo aid be the 
best. Allow a sufficient quantity for evaporation, and leave the 
vessel undisturbed for a few days. At the end of this time a film 
will be found floating on the top. This is the essential oil of the 
flower, and every particle of it is impregnated with the odor pe- 
culiar to the flower. Take it up carefully and put it in tiny vi- 
als, and allow them to remain open till a*l watery particles have 
evaporated. 

A very small portion of this will perfume glove- 
boxes, drawers, apparel, etc., and will last a long 
time. The odor of musk blossoms is one of the most 
lasting, as well as the most pungent of floral scents, 
and is more delicate, though not so lasting as the an- 
imal product. 



322 A Pine Cologne. 

A Pine Cologne. 

The following makes a very fine cologne if correct- 
ly made with good material: 

Take 1 quart of good ale oliol, 1 ounce each oil lavender and oil 
lemon, 1 drachm oil cinnamon, 2 drachms extract or tincture of 
musk, and six drops otto of rose. Mix well together. 

Gelatine Soap. 

It is impossible to cleanse greasy dishes without 
soap, and many soft hands are rendered unfit; for 
needlework by daily immersions in feot dish water. 
The following is recommended as an emollient for 
chapped hands, and also a superior soap where a 
quick lather is desired: 

To 2 pounds of olive soap cut up into small slices, add 2 ounces, 
of borax; put the ingredients into a crock, pour over 2 quarts of 
cold water, set the vessel on a part of the range where there is 
hut little heat, stirring occasionally until the borax is dissolved 
(8 or 9 hours), and when cooled a thick gelatine is produced, 
which housekeepers need use but once to prove its efficacy and 
economy. 

To Remove "Warts. 

• The following inexpensive and convenient remedy 
will remove these unsightly and troublesome excres- 
cences : 

Dissolve as much common washing soda as the water will take 
up; wash the warts with this a minute or two, and let them dry 
without wiping. Keep the water in a bottle, and repeat the 
washing often, and it will take away the largest warts. 

Russian Jftloth Antidote. 

In Russia where, for the greater part of the year, 
fur constitutes so large a part of the wearing appar- 
el, they use the following preparation to preserve 
their furs from the ravages of .the moths: 
Macerate gum camphor 1 ounce, powdered shells of red pep- 



low to Make Tea, 823 

per 1 ounce, in 8 ounces strong alcohol for 7 days; then strain . — 
Sprinkle the furs, and roll up closely in cloth or paper. 

Cherry Tree Gum Cement. 

The folio wiag simple information is wortk know- 
ing: 

Broken china or glass ware may he neatly and securely mend- 
ed hy cementing the broken edges with cherry tree gum while 
saft. Press the edges firmly together till dry, "and the break is 
scarcely perceivable and stands water well. 

To Clean Canary Birds. 

These- little things like many larger and meaner 
objects are sometimes covered with vermin, that are 
a source of great annoyance to the birds. 

Place a clean white cloth over their cage at night. I» the 
morning it will be covered with small red spots, so small as hard- 
ly to be seen except by the aid of a glass. These are the vermin 
and may be destroyed by dipping the cloth in hot water. 

Cold Cream. 

The following is the manner of making this pop- 
filar adjunct to the toilet "fixins:" 

Kelt together oil of almonds 3 ounce», spermaceti 1 ounce^ 
white wax % ounce. When melted pour into a warm glass and 
add by degrees as much orange flower or rose ^ater as the fix- 
ture will take up. 

How to Make Tea. 

There is a great difference in the quality of tea 
made by different persons, out of the same box. — 
There is a deliciousness— a mellowness, an old sta- 
ger would call it — when made as it should be, that 
few housekeepers evoke. The following is tho plan 
practised by those who make the best tea : 

Pour tepid or cold water enough on the tea to cover it, place 
it on the stove hearth, top of tea kettle, or any place where it 
will be warm, but not enough to cause the aroma to escape in 
steam. Let it remain about half an hour, then ptour on boiling 
water and bring it to the table. 



324 Preserving Fruit, 

Preserving Fruit. 

This lias come to be one of the regular ajmual du- 
ties in almost every household, and as few of the 
young ladies of the present day go through with a 
course of education in tiiis branch of the useful, be- 
fore they assume the duties of housekeepers them- 
selves, direct instructions in some form become a ne- 
cessity. Young ladies know well enough how to 
dispose of a good many jars of preserved fruit, but 
they seldom think of the care and labor bestowed in 
their preparation. But that is all right ; sufficient 
unto the day is the evil thereof. As loug as they 
can turn to the instructive pages of this little vol- 
ume, when they come to the necessity of doing for 
themselves, it is just as well as to go through a long 
apprenticeship. 

With the various appliances for preserving fruit, 
it is now easy and economical in money as well as 
in health, to have a daily supply of good, naturally 
flavored, almost fresh pie plant, strawberries, cher- 
ries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, huckleber- 
ries, apple sauce, etc. The fruit thus kept is health- 
ful and economical, as it furnishes both nutriment 
and condiment. 

The Fruits. — Fruits ot all kinds are easily pre- 
served, as are also rhubarb or pie plant, and toma- 
toes. The main supply of fruits proper for the year 
consists, in the ordei\of abundance: first — Of 



Preserving Fruit. 325 

peaches, when plenty. Second — Strawberries. — 
Third — Cherries, when plenty. Fourth — Pears. 
Fifth — Raspberries and blackberries. Sixth — 
Huckleberries, etc. Apple sauce is put up plenti- 
fully at different seasons, usually in the bottles first 
used for other fruits. Pie plant and tomatoes are 
preserved in large quantities, so as to have an 
abundance whenever wanted, until they come again. 
, Indeed, all the fruits are put up in supply to last 
until a new crop of each, and in a season of special 
abundance, a two years' stock is laid in. We sel- 
dom find much difference in bottles of fruits opened 
after one, two, and sometimes even three years. 

Bottles and Cans. — Many different kinds of 
bottles and cans are used with more or 1 ess success 
bat the editor of the American Agriculturist, who is 
good authority upon such matters, decides that a 
simple form of glass bottle is the best for all kinds 
of fruits. One fact is established by universal ex- 
perience and that is, glass is always preferable for all 
preserved fruits, etc., as unpleasant effects may 
sometimes result from corrosion. Any kind of glass 
bottles will answer, if the neck be large enough to 
receive the fruit handily, and of such form as to ad- 
mit of tight corking — if soft corks of good quality 
can be obtained to fit them. If the corks are- soft- 
ened in hot water, pressed in firmly and covered 
tightly with wax ' and a cloth tied on, they answer. 



326 Preserving Fruits. 

A corked bottle inverted into a little tin dish or pat- 
ty pan, or in a saucer containing a spoonful or two 
of cement, is effectually closed, if care be taken not 
to leave any air bubbles around the edge. The fol- 
lowing makes a good cement for sealing jars, bottles, 
etc. : 

Take 1% ounces of tallow and melt with 1 pound of common 
rosin, in a tin or iron vessel. Make in quantity, and heat it up 
as often as needed ; every melting improves it. 

The only care required in using wax for closing 
the bottle mouths is to have the necks wiped clean 
after the fruit is put in, so that the wax will adhere 
firmly to the glass. Many now use some of the pat- 
ented bottles with covers closing upon an india rub- 
er ring, which dispenses with wax. Any form that 
will absolutely shut out all access of air will answer 
every purpose. 

The Cooking Vessel. — The best is the porce- 
lain kettles, quite common, which are very conven- 
ient for many cooking purposes. They are iron ves- 
sels coated on the inside with porcelain, or white 
earthernware, glazed. One holding five or six quarts 
will answer, Wide, flat ones are preferable. Cop- 
per or even brass vessels will do, if well cleaned, or 
a tin pan or pail can be used. 

The Sugar. — For very nice preserved fruit, as 
white peaches and pears, the best refined A sugar 
is desirable, and for all kinds, we think sugar as 
good as the refined B sugar is desirabte, and even 



Preferring Fruits. 327 

cheapest, on the whole. For apple sauce, put into 
cans for general family use, C, or the best light 
brown, will answer. Our rule is, to use just sugar 
enough to fit the different kinds of fruit for the table. 
Some families like more, and some less ; hence no 
definite rule can be given. For the sweeter fruits, 
strawberries, peaches, sweet pears, huckleberries, 
and the like, we use four to six pounds of sugar to 
the gallon of water, or one-half to three-fourths pound 
to the pint. For more acid fruits, as cherries, plums, 
sourer pears, currants, crab apples, etc., about one 
pound to the pint, more or less, according to the 
acidity and ripeness. 

Selecting and Preparing the Fruit. — As a 
rule, choose fully ripe fruit, but not that over ripe. 
A soft or decaying spot may injure the flavor, and 
tend to decay the whole. If too green, the flavor 
will be inferior. The berry fruits are to be sorted, 
defective ones rejected, stems and hulls removed, and 
carefully and quickly washed if soiled, though it is 
always to be avoided if possible, as it injures the fla- 
vor, especially of raspberries and strawberries. — 
Peaches, pears, etc. , need paring. Some scald peach- 
es, to aid in removing the thin skin, but they are 
better pared. They may be preserved whole, but 
are better cut in halves and the pits removed. 

Cooking the Fruit.— Three methods are used: 
some place the fruit in bottles, with sugar added, 



328 Preserving Pruits. 

put on the covers nearly tight, set the bottles in 
warm water, and heat to boiling, and after time is 
given to heat the fruit through, the covers are fast- 
ened down closely. We prefer, as being less troub- 
lesome, to first cook the fruit in the porcelain or tin 
vessel, and then dip it hot into the jars, which must 
have been previously warmed to prevent their break- 
ing, as noted below. For the finest preserves, the 
fruit may be cooked in a syrup first, and then dipped 
out into the hot jars, and a new syrup be filled in 
hot. The cooking syrup may be used for several 
successive batches of fruit, and finally for poorer 
kinds of fruit, or making common sauce. For ordi- 
nary preserving, the fruit and the syrup used in 
cooking it, may be dipped together in to the bottle. 
The amount of cooking is important. Too little haz- 
ards the keeping, and too much not only mars the 
appearance, but it greatly injures the flavor." In all 
cases, have the syrup boiling hot and over the fire 
when the fruit is first put into it, and it will then 
heat through without cooking soft or losing its fla- 
vor. Only fruit enough to fill three or four bottles 
should be cooked at a time, or some will be overdone. 

Straioberries should cook but three or four min- 
utes before dipping them into the bottles, which 
should previously all be ready and hot. With this 
precaution they retain their natural form and flavor. 

Peaches, being larger, require a little more time 



Wegerviflg Erato* 329 

to heajt .through, but when fully ripe, five to »even 
minutes is long enough, and the same is true of well 
ripened pears, especially the Bartletts and Virgalie- 
us, which, by the way, make a most delicious pre- 
serve. 

Quinces and hard pears may cook ten to fifteen 
minutes or more, for they should become tender. 

The general rule for cooking is to have the soft 
fruits just heated through to the centre, as quickly 
as may be after they go iato the syrup, and then get 
them into the bottle* immediately, giving no time 
for the escape of the arooia. 

Tomatoes, well ripened, are scalded to skin them 
easily, then put into just water enough to prevent 
burning, and carefully cooked thsee quarters to a full 
hour, thus reducing their bulk materially. A very 
little salt is used but no sugar. They can be sea- 
soned and ^sugared when wanted for use. 

Bottling.— Have all needed bottles, corks, covers, wax if used, 
etc., ready before beginning to cook the fruit. Have a kettle of 
hot water on the stove, and the last thing before cooking the 
fruit, dip a bottie rapidly in and out of the hot water until heat- 
ed through, then fill it with the hot water and let it stand, and so 
with all the bottles needed for one batch of fruit. When that is 
cooked pour out the hot water, and dip full of fruit and syrup, 
or, if new syrup is used, as noted above, fill with the hot fruit 
skimmed out, and pour in the new syrup last. For soft or nice 
fruits, dip in carefully with the jar inclined, to avoid bruising or 
breaking. Let the bottles stand about two minutes, jarring them 
to facilitate the escape of air bubbles ; wipe the tops carefully 
clean with a- damp hot cloth, then pour in enough more syrup to 
fill them, if there is much settling. Now apply the caps and 
clamps, or other covers or corks, and close the bottles as closely 
as may be — or air tight. One point is, to have little if any air 
left in the fruit. As there is always a little, or enough to pro- 
duce a tuft of mouldiness on the top, which does not injure the 
mass in the bottles, if not mlxad with it in handling, it is well in 



330 To Preserve Tomatoes. 

opening- a bottle to always remove a thin film from the top.— 
Store the bottles on shelves in the cellar or other cool place, 
where they will not be exposed to great changes of temperature. 

Pie Plant or Ehubarb. — Put up as follows, 
this is excellent for winter and early spring use as 
sauee and in making pies : 

Cut the stems in small pieces, as usual. Cook with only a few 
spoonfuls of water, to keep it from burning before its own juices 
are at liberty. Boil half an hour or so, or until ready for the ta- 
ble, and bottle without sugar added. 

To Preserve Tomatoes. 

The following method is highly recommended by 

those who have tried it, for preserving tomatoes with 

sugar : 

Take sound, ripe tomatoes, and half the weight of Hie toma- 
toes of finely pulverized sugar. Remove the skins from the fruit 
without scalding. Dissolve and boil the sugar in a little water 
until it is thick, then put in the tomatoes and take from the fire. 
When cool, skim them out, heat the syrup, throw in the fruit, 
until the process is repeated three times. Stew % pound green 
ginger root for every 10 pounds of preserves. Add all together, 
and boil gently until done. Let the syrup become thickbefore 
the tomatoes are put in. Seal in the usual way. 

Tomatoes Without Sugar. — We have had all 
winter and until the fruit grew again, tomatoes with 
all the flavor of freshly picked ones. Stewed and 
poured upon toasted bread they are delicious. 

Pick nice ripe tomatoes, fresh from the vines ; scald them to 
remove the skins ; put them into your preserve" kettle and heat 
thoroughly, but not to cook, and then put them into glass jars 
and seal in the usual way. 

Another. — Here is another plan for preserving to- 
matoes with sugar : 

Pour boiling water on the tomatoes and take the skins off; 
then add the weight of them in sugar, and some sliced lemons ; 
take a cup of ginger and tie it up in a bag loosely, and boil it in 
half a pint of water ; put this in and boil the whole three hours, 
skimming off the froth as it rises. When cool, it is ready for U6e. 



To Preserve Pears. 331 

Green Tomato Preserves. 

The following will be found quite a delicious pre- 
serve : 

Take tomatoeswhen quite small and green ; put them in cold, 
clarified syrup with an orange ; simmer gently over a slow fire 
two or three hours. Equal weight of sugar and tomatoes, and 
more than water enough to cover the tomatoes used for the syr- 
up, boiled down quite thick. 

Tomato Figs. 

Tomatoes may be kept for years, by making them 
into figs after the following manner. They keep their 
flavor surprisingly, which is nearly that of the best 
quality of figs. The small pear-shaped or single to- 
matoes answer the best for this purpose. Ordinary 
brown sugar may be used, a large portion of which 
is retained in syrup : 

Take 6 pounds of sugar to 1Q pounds or 1 peck of tomatoes.— 
Scald and remove the skins in the usual way. Cook them over 
a fire, their own juice being sufficient, without the addition of 
vater, until the sugar penetrates, and they are clarified. They 
are then taken out, spread on dishes and flattened, and dried in 
the sun. A small quantity of syrup should be sprinkled over 
them while drying ; after which pack them down in boxes, treat- 
ing each layer with powdered sugar. The syrup is afterwards 
concentrated and bottled for use. 

Currants. — The following will be found conven- 
ient for tarts and the like : 

Pick the currants when they are dry ; for every 1% pounds of 
currants put 1 pound good sugar, into a preserving kettle with 
as much currant juice as will dissolve it. When it boils, skim it 
and put in your currants, and boil them till they are clear. Put 
them in a jar and seal up as usual. 

To Preserve Pears. 

Pears look best if preserved whole, pared with the 
stems on. This fruit is very nice for common use, 
baked. They may be cooked in this way with the 



3#2 PeaohFreseifyeB. 

skins on, or pared. Put them in a tin with half a 
teacup *f molasses and the same of water, or the 
same of sugar and water. They will bake in half 
an hour. Or they may be quartered, boiled tender 
in a little water, and then simmered half an hour, 
gently, in the liquor, to which half their weight of 
sugar has been added. The following is the best 
process for preserving : 

Make a tkin syrup and boil them tender. If boiled too fast 
they will break. They will be sufficiently cooked in half an hour. 
If you wish theai nice, let them lie in the syrup in a jar or tureen, 
two days. Drain the syrup from the pears ; add more sugar ; 
boil te«i minutes ; skim^ and put in the pears ; simmer them till 
they are transparent. Take them out ; stick a clove in the end 
of each, and lay im a jar when oool. Then pour aver the warm 
syrup. 

Another Method. — Here is anotker plan of pre- 
serving pea^s which will be found very nice : 

Take 6 poind* pears to 4 pounds sugar ; boil the parings in as 
much water as will cover them ; strain it through a colander ; 
lay some pears in the bottom of your kettle, put in some sugar, 
and so on, alternately ; then pourtke liquor off the parings over 
the fruit, and boil until it begins to look transparent, then take 
out the pears and let the juice cool, and clarify it. Put them in 
again and add some ginger tied up in a bag amd boiled in half a 
pint of water. Boil until done ; take out and let the liquor boil 
till it kas advanced to a syrup. 

Peack Preserves. 

Try the following, and see if it does not make a 
delicious preserve : 

Take ripe, freestone peaches, pare, stone and quarte/ them. — 
To six poinds of the cut peaches allow three pounds of the best 
brown sugar. Strew the sugar among the peaches, and set them 
away in a covered vessel. Next morning put the whole in a pre- 
serving kettle, and boil it slowly about two hours, skimming it 
well, and it is complete. 

Oitroniz»d Grapes. 

The following method of preserving grapes will 



To Ftffeffe OitrofL MelSh. 33S 

be found fo make a very useful as well as excellent 
conserve : 

Prepare clarified syrup by dissolving S poinds of sugar with 1 
quart of water, and then boil in this 8 pounds of green Catawba 
or Isabella grapes until they begin to shrink, when they should 
be opened on plates to cool. Keep the syrup boiling, and when 
approaching the consistency of good syrup, replace the grapes 
and boil about ten minut«te, when they will become fit for the 
jars and for use during the summer and fall months. If to be 
kept for years, add a quarter of a pomnd more sugar. 

To Preserve Watermelon Rinds. 

The rinds of watermelons presented make a fine 
dish, equal to what is called the citron melon in all 
respects. The following is the best method of pre- 
serving them : 

Do not cut your rinds too thin ; pare off the outside green 
rind ; soak them two days in clean soft water, and then drain 
them. Take 6 pounds of sugar aDd 3 pints of water, boil to a 
thick syrup; then add your watermelon rinds; boil until they are 
clear; flavor with orange-flower or rose water; cool, and put 
away in jars for use. 

To Preserve Citron Melon. 

Prepare the melon by cutting off the hard rind, and then flit- 
ting into slices % or % inch thick, and these into any size and 
6hape you please. Take equal quantities, in weight of fruit and 
sugar. Put the sugar into the preserving kettle with a gill of 
water for each pound. When the sugar is dissolved, put it over 
the fire, boil and skim it, then pour out and wash the kettle and 
return the syrup to it. Put in the fruit, and for each 5 pounds 
of it, }£ pound isinglass dissolved in water, and boil the whole 
briskly until the fruit when held towards the light -looks translu- 
cent, which will be in from 1% to \% hours. Then take it out, a 
piece at a time, spread it on dishes and strain the syrup in a pan. 
When the syrup is lukewarm, put your fruit in the jars and pour 
it over. Let them stand till next day, then seal the jars. 

This fruit may be flavored with lemons sliced and 
preserved with it ; eut in thin slices and boil with 
the fruit. Put in one lemon to each three pounds 
of fruit. The citroa melon makes a beautiful but 
tasteless preserve ; it m«st be flaTorei with lemoa. 



334 To Preserve Phms. 

orange or some other fruit. If, when it is a little 
cool, it should prove not sufficiently flavored, a few 
drops of flavoring extract may be added. * 

Citron Preserves. 

The following makes one of the nicest preserves 
in the whole range of sweet meats. Try it and see: 

Cut the rind in any form desired, boil hard for 30 to 40 minutes 
in middling strong alum water ; then put" them into clear cold 
water and allow them to stand over night. In the morning 
change the water and put them to boil; let them cook until they 
hare entirely changed color, and are quite soft. Then make your 
syrup, allowing 1% pounds of white sugar to a pound of fruit; — 
then add your fruit, which needs but little more cooking. Mace, 
giager or lemon flavor nicely. 

Preserving Strawberries Without Sugar. 

Strawberries preserved without sugar retain their 
original flavor better than when preserved in any 
other way. The following is the process : 

Put the fruit in the preserving kettle, and if very dry, add a lit- 
tle water to prevent burning. Boil about three minutes, or just 
long enough to be sure the whole mass is thoroughly heated — 
not cooked. Dip into cans, filling them completely, seal quick- 
ly and set in a cool place. Glass jars containing fruit should be 
kept in a dark place or covered with dark colored paper. Open 
and sugar several hours before using. 

To Preserve Plums. 

The following method of preserving plums is 
vouched for by one well qualified to judge of such 
things, and who knows whereof she vouches : 

Pick out all the unsound plums and stems, and then pour over 
them boiling hot, clarified syrup made of good brown sugar.— 
Let them remain in the syrup two or three days, then drain it off. 
Make it boiling hot, skim it and pour it over again ; then let them 
remain a day or two, then pour it in a preserving kettle over the 
fire, and simmer gently until the syrup is thick and rich. One 
pound of sugar to each pound of plums. Put them in jars and 
secure the next day. 

Raspberry Preserves. -If this delicious berry is 



Jellies. 335 

even moderately plenty, don't fail to supply your- 
self with the following preserve : 

Choose raspberries not too ripe ; take their weight in sugar wet 
with a little water, and put in the berries ; let them boil gently, 
without breaking. When they are clear, take them up, boil the 
syrup until thick enough, then put them in again, and when cold 
put them away. 

Whortleberries for Winter Use. — Whortle- 
berries, gooseberries, plums and currants may be 
preserved for winter use, in this way : 

, Put the berries in a bottle, cork and seal it and place the bottle 
in a kettle of cold water and bring it gradually to a boil. As 
soon as it boils, take it from the fire and let it cool ; take the 
bottles out and put them away for winter use. 

Pine Apple. 

There is no more delicious preserve than this. — 
The following is the plan pursued by one of the best 
housekeepers in the country for preserving : 

Select ripe pines, free from blemishes ; do not break them or 
remove the leaves; put them in a large boiler or pan tilled with 
water, and cover them tightly down. Boil them until they are 
sufficiently tender to run a skewer through them with ease, then 
take them up and let them get sufficiently cold. Peel them when 
cold, and cut them into slices. The slices should be % of an inch 
thick. Take out the cores, weigh the fruit, and allow the same 
weight of the best sugar (granulated sugar). Spread a little on 
the bottom of the preserving jars, put in a layer of fruit, then a 
layer of sugar until it is all in. Let them remain until all the su- 
gar is dissolved, then drain off the syrup and strain it. Set the 
jar in cold water ; let it remain till the water boils, then take it 
off; in the water in which it was heated, put the syrup to heat 
at the same time as the fruit, only in a separate vessel, and pour 
it when boiling on the fruit ; put tjie pan on the fire again with 
the jar of preserves in it, and let it remain until the water boils. 
Cork the jar well, and seal as usual. Small jars are the best for 
this preserve. 

Jellies. 

The various jellies made from the different small 
fruits, enter largely into the calculations of every 
good housewife, in providing the year's supply of 



336 JoHies. 

sweetmeats, appetizers and condiments. We gine 
information for preparing sereral of them. 

Red Cuerant Jelly. — This is one ot^ the most 
common, as it is one of the best of its class. The 
following mode of preparing it is reliable : 

Gather the fruit when perfectly ripe, and on a dry day ; strip 
the currants carefully from the stems, put them into a jar, which 
place in a sauce-pap of cold water, o^er a clear fire, until tie 
juice flows from them freely ; then turn them into a fine bair- 
seive, and let them drain well, but without pressure. Weigh the 
juice, and to each pound allow 10 ounces of loaf-sugar. Boil the 
juice fast for 15 minutes, then remove it from the fire ; add the 
sugar, keeping it stirred till it is quite dissolved. Give the jelly 
eight minutes more of quick boiling, and potir it into moulds. Be 
•ure to clear off the scum both beforehand after the sugar is added, 
or the jelly will not be clear. The currants which remain in the 
sieve make an excellent jam, boiled with equal quantities of st- 
gar for eight minutes. 

Currant Jelly without Cooking.-— The follow- 
ing simple process of making currant jelly may be 
convenient for some : 

Press the juice from the currants and strain it; to every pint 
of juice put a pound of fine white sugar ; mix them together, un- 
til the 6ugar is dissolved, then put it into jars, seal them and ex- 
pose them to a hot sun a few days. 

Strawberry Jelly. 

The folio wiag rule for making ft most delicious 
strawberry jelly was communicated by Asenath 
Doan, of Athens, O., a noted housekeeper : 

Take ripe, perfect strawberries, pick off the husks, -p lace the 
berries in large (but not deep) dishes, saturate well with refined 
brown sugar, and set the dishes on the cella* floor to keep them 
cool. Early the next morning drain off the juice, being careful 
not to mash the berries. (I make pies of theherries and they are 
pretty good.) Stew the juiee over a slow fire until it begins to 
thicken, then 6tir in as many cups of sugar as there aro of juice ; 
keep it cooking slowly and well stirred^ until the sugar is dis- 
solved. I prefer a common stone milk crook to stew itdow»in. 
When a little cool, put it in glass tumblers, and when cold, cover 
tight with two or m#re th^eknessqi of white paper a*4 keep in 
a cool, dry place. ' *> ' "' 



Blackberry Jelly. 337 

Another. — Take strawberries when fully ripe, strain, and to 
each pint of juice add a pound of the best refined sugar. Boil 
briskly, skimming- when necessary, for ten or fifteen minutes, or 
until it will jelly, which may be known by dropping in a little 
cold water. If done, it will fall to the bottom in a mas.-,. 

Blackberry Jelly. 

Whoever tries this plan once of making a most 
palatable and healthy condiment, will be pure to try 
it again : 

Gather the fruit when perfectly ripe, and in very dry weather. 
Put the blackberries into a jar, and place the jar in hot water, 
keeping it boiling until the juice is extracted from the fruit. Pass 
it through a fine sieve or jelly-bag without much pressure. For 
every pint of juice add fourteen ounces of sugar, and boil in a 
clean preserving-pan about twenty-five minutes, carefully takhjg 
off the scum as it rises to the surface. Place it hot in small jars, 
and cover it down with thin tissue paper dipped in brandy, and 
brown paper over it. Keep it in a cool, dry place. 

Apple Jelly. 

The apple is such a common fruit that many en- 
tirely overlook its adaptability to many of the nicer 
and finer sweet meats, and buy smaller and rarer 
fruits at enormous prices, that are no better. The 

following makes a very nice apple jelly : 

Take a peck of nice juicy apples^pare and core them, put in a 
pan with two quarts of water ; boil them gently but not too 
much; strain the juice through a bag or Bieve; to every pint add 
three-quarters of a pound of loaf sugar and the rind of a lemon 
pared very thin. 

AxoTHKii. — Cure but do not peel the apples. To 2 pounds ap- 
ples add 1 pint cold water. Boil gently Avith some lemon peel 
and the juice of one lemon, for one hour. Strain through a flan- 
nel bag. To each pint of juice add 1 pound of white coffee sugar 
and boil one hour. 

One More. — The following is said to be the very 

best way of making apple jelly, and those who have 

not tried it should do so. It will last for years and 

has frequently been pronounced superior to currant 

jelly = 
O 



338 Grab Apple Jelly. 

Take tart apples of the best quality and flavor, cut into quar- 
ter slices and steam them till soft, then strain out the juice which 
should be entirely free from any pulp. Boil to the consistency 
of molasses, then' add 1 pound bjest crushed sugar for each pound 
of syrup; stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Add 1 
ounce extract of lemon for every 20 pounds of jelly, and when 
cold set it away in jai 

Deied Apple Jelly. — Dried apples prepared as 
follows make a very nice jelly : 

Soak 1 quart dried apples over night in 1 gallon cold water, 
then boil till soft. Drain through a hair sieve, and add 1 pint of 
sugar to a quart of juice, then boil till it jellies. Two or three 
lemons cut in slices' and put in when it begins to boil, will give 
it a nice flavor. 

Lemon Jelly. 

To make a delicious lemon jelly proceed as follows: 

Pour 1 quart of boiling water on 1 ounce Cooper' i in rla's's, and 
then add 1% pounds 1 nd 3 lemon.-, juice and rinds gra- 

ted. Mix, and then strain, add 1 pint of wine and set in moulds 
to cool. 

Grab Apple Jelly. 

Siberian crab apples make about as good jelly as 

any other fruit, if not the best. They have a very 

delicate flavor, and are a justly great favorite with 

housekeepers. The following is the best method of 

preparing them : 

Pour them in a keetle with just water enough to cover them 
boil }£ hour, then take them otf and rub them through a colan- 
der to separate the skins and seeds from the pulp then strain 
through a flannel bag. To each pint of the juice thus strained 
add a pound of white sugar arid boil for :10 minutes, in the mean- 
time skimming off the skum if there is anv, then till "-lasses or 
moulds and let them stand for 2 or 3 days in the sun until suffi- 
ciently hardened. Dip in brandy a piece of unsized or newspa- 
per and lay on I op oi the jelly ; then er the top of "the 
glass a piece of letter paper to keep out the air, and the rellv is 
ready to be put away for use. 

Axotsee.— Here is another shorter method, but 
is not quite as good : 



Strawberry Jam. 339 

Boil the apples with just enough water to cover them, until 
tender. Mash with a spoon, and strain out the juice. For a 
pint of juice take a pound of sugar, boil 30 minutes and strain 
through a hair sieve, and put in glasses as above. 

Currant Jam. 

To make nice currant jam, follow this rule : 

Pick tine red currants free from stems. Strain the juice from 
half of them ; crush the remainder with % pound of sugar for 
each pound of fruit used, and put them with the juice in a kettle 
and boil until it is a smooth jellied mass; have a moderate fire, 
that it may not burn. 

Pine Apple Jam. 

This is one of the delicacies that make one's 
mouth water to think of. 

Peel and grate the apple; then for each pound of it put in one 
pound of sugar. Boil half an hour and put into jars. 

Strawberry Jam. 

Try the following if you want to have a most de- 
licious jam on your table : 

For every pound of strawberries take % pound of sugar. The 
berries should be mashed in a preserving kettle, and the sugar 
thoroughly mixed with them. Boil from twenty minutes to half 
an hour, stirring constantly. 

How to Keep Preserves, Jams, &,c. 

After the labor and expense of making up a quan- 
tity of sweetmeats, they are sometimes lost or much 
injured or deteriorated in quality by mold, or by 
souring and working. If your closet is dry and 
cool, your preserves, jellies, and jams may be kept 
for years by the following process : 

Cut a piece of clean writing paper to fit the mouth of the pot 
or jar, and another about X% inches larger. With a paste brush 
lay a coating of the white ol an egg over the s.uriace of the small- 
er paper, and lay it on the top of the jam etc., untouched side 
down. Take the larger piece*and coat the au$ei iitie with white 
of egg and cover the pot, glass or jar with ii; the white of egg 
renders it adhesive, and "pastes it firmly down all around the edge 
of the crack. 



340 Strawberry Cream. 

Blackberry Flummery. 

A "Jersey Farmer's Daughter," who we know 
will make a capital "Jersey Farmer's Wife," fur- 
nishes the following as a rare dish : 

Stew blackberrie6 moderately sweetened with sugar or molas- 
ses, until soft ; mix a thickening of flour and water, and stir into 
the berries. Continue 6tirring while it boils, until the whole be- 
comes incorporated into a mass just sufficiently thick to pour in- 
to moulds ; when cold turn out for dessert — to be eaten with milk - 
or cream. 

Strawberry Cream. 

If you want a delicious and rare tit-bit, try the 
following : 

Mash the fruit gentty ; drain it on a sieve ; strew a little sugar 
on it ; when well drained without being pressed, add sugar and 
cream to the juice, and, if thick, a little milk. Whisk it in a 
bowl, and as the froth rises, lay it on a sieve ; when no more will 
rise, put the cream in a dish and lay the froth upon it. 

Apple Snow. 

Here are the directions for making a very nice 
dish which needs only to be tried to be admired : 

Put 12 good tart apples in cold water, and set them on a slow 
fire ; when soft, drain off the water, strip the skins from the ap- 
ples, core and lay them in a large g!ass dish. Beat the whites of 
12 «ggs to stiff frost, put half a pound of powdered white sugar to 
the apples ; beat them, and then add the eggs. Beat the whole 
to a stiff snow, and turn into a dessert dish. 

Apple Biscuit. 

The following makes a very delicate and palatable 
item for dessert : 

Boil apples in water until soft, then take them out and rub them 
through a wire sieve, flavor with a drop or two of essence or oil of 
lemon, and if you like the taste, a drop of the oil c4 cloves. Add 
lump sugar equal in weight to the pulp, and grind with it ; roll 
the sugared pulp into flat cakes about a quarter of an inch thick, 
and cut them into shapes. FLnallr, dry them in a very slow oven, 
the heat not being strong enough to bake them or melt the sugar; 
they may be dried also by the summer's sun. They often require 
to be partially dried before they can be rolled out. They may, 
instead of rolling, be dropped on paper, or put in a ring of paper 
upon a slightly greased iron plate. 



Florentine i, 341 

Gooseberry Fool. 

This does not mean the young man who told his 
sweet-heart he was " some, on geeseberry pie," but 
one of the most delicious nic-nacks that can be made 
out of gooseberries. 

Pick and wash one quart of gooseberries ; put them into a stone 
jar, and having- covered it, let it stand in a sauce-pan of boiling- 
water until the gooseberries are quite tender, and then pulp them 
through a horse-hair sieve. Beat up the yelks of two eggs and 
the -white of one. To these, add by degrees, a small quantity 
of milk and a little pounded sugar. After this, put in the 
pulped fruit, whisk it all up, and add gradually, half a pint of 
cream, (or milk, if cream be not plentiful), and sugar to taste. 

Float. 

The following makes a palatable and economical 
dish for tea T 

Take 1 quart of new milk and 5 eggs : beat the whites to a stiff 
froth, have the milk ready boiling in a skillet r and with a spoon 
place the whites in it, turn them over quickly, then lift them out 
carefully, and place them on a plate. Now beat the yolks well, 
add 1 large spoonful flour, 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar and some 
grated nutmeg or lemon, and 2 spoonfuls of cold milk ; stir them 
all together, then pour it into the milk, stirring it too keep it 
smooth. Let it boil, turn it out in a deep dish, place the whites 
on it, and it is now ready for use. A few drops of jelly or colored 
sugar on the whites, improves the looks. 

Egg Puffs. 

Try this if you want something new and nice % 

Take 1 pint sweet milk, 1 quart sifted flour, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon- 
fnl salt. Mix the yolks with the milk. Beat the whites to a 
froth. Mix all together and divide into twelve earthen cups.— 
Bake 20 minutes in a very hot oven, and eat as soon after as pos- 
sible with good butter. The cups must be new, or those which 
have never been wet or greased. The puffs when done will slip 
out of the cups easily, and are served at table, bottom side up, 
for beauty. The cups may be cleaned sufficiently by scraping and 
wiping with a dry cloth. If the cups are ever wet the puffs stick. 

Florentines. 

These form a nice dish for supper, and are deli- 
cious. Try them if you want something a little ex- 



342 Sorghum Apple Sauce, 

tra to surprise and treat your friends at the same 
time, when they come to take tea with you : 

Roll puff paste to the thickness of an eighth of an inch, and lay 
it on a thin baking- tin. Spread over it a layer of preserves or jam 
and bake it in a moderate oven. Take it out and when partly 
cool, having whipped some whites of eggs with sugar, put the 
whip over the preserves and strew some minced almond all over 
the surface, finishing with sifted sugar. Put it once more into 
the oven till the whip is quite stiff. The florentines should be of 
a pale color; and a few minutes after the paste is finally removed 
from the oven it should be cut into diamonds and served. 

Sorghum Apple Sauce. 

The following when cold makes a good substitute 
for apple butter, and besides it is really a good sauce: 

Put a pint of sorgo syrup on to boil, and then beat 3 eggs to a 
froth. As soon as the syrup boils, pour in the egf s, stirring rap- 
idly all the time. Let it boil 3 minutes, then pour it into a cool 
dish, and stir in a little good vinegar, or lemon juice. 

Fine Puff Paste. 

Try the following : 

One pound of fine flour, 1 pound of best butter, a teaspoonful 
of salt, the yolk of 1 egg, and a teacup of water. With the water 
and egg y and as much butter as it requires, mix up the flour in a 
smooth mess. Roll it out and spread it over thinly with butter. 
Fold up your paste and roll it out again ; repeat this till your 
butter is exhausted. Roll out rather thin bottoms for your pies, 
and a half inch thick for your top crusts. Plainer crusts have 
Mpply less butter in them. 

Oatmeal Custard. 

The following will be found -very grateful and 
soothing in cases of colds or chills : 

Take 2 tnblespoorifuls of the finest Scotch oatmeal; beat it up 
in a sufficiency of cold water in a basin to allow it to run free- 
ly. Add to it the yolk of a fresh egg, well worked up ; have a 
pint of scalding new milk on the fire, and pour the oatmeal mix- 
ture into it, stin-ing it round with a spoon, so as to incorporate 
the whole. Add sugar to your taste, and throw in a glass of sher- 
ry to the mixture, with a little grated nutmeg. Pour it into a 
basin, and take M warm in bed. Some persons scald a little cin- 
namon in the milk. 



Good Bread, 343 

Good Bread, 

One of the greatest promoters of "joy in the 
household," next to a good natured baby, is good 
bread. To know how to make it, is one of the rare 
accomplishments of a good housewife. Good, light 
bread is the " staff of life," but bread that is sour, 
heavy, or not baked right, is both unhealthy and 
the promoter of discord, difficulty and dyspepsia. 
But to be be a good bread maker requires patience 
and practice. How necessary then, that every moth- 
er should learn her daughter this art. To be a good 
piano player is a great accomplishment, even for a 
farmers wife, but it will not compare with that of 
being a good bread maker. Bread made after the 
following recipe is sure to be as light as baker's 
bread and much sweeter and will keep moist longer 
than that made by any other method, and has fre- 
quently taken the first premium at State and county 

fairs : 

Zvlix 1 pint of flour with 1 onart of boiling clabber milk ; add 4 
taMespoohtuls of yeast wh 'ly cool no 1 : to scald it; 

gradually work in flour and knead we!! : let it rrefc over night, or 
until very light ; workin2 teaspoonfujs ofV;da diesolyedin warm 
water; forminto loave , let them rise again and bake slowly. Be 
wiiviul not to bake too much. Good bread is frequently spoiled 
by" coo much baki 

ANOTHER, — Here is another formula tor making 
two loaves of good bread : 

1 quart warm water, or better, l.pint water and 1 pint new milk, 
mixed with tiour to a thick batter, % cup yeast. Bet at night.— 
In the morning mix and mould • in to rise. When 

light, re-mould and put imopaiu for baking. If lender crust is 
desired, wrap the br< au in a towel wi er, and 

this again in a dry towel, immediately after taking out of the ov- 
en. 



344 Graham Bread. 

Still Another, — Take equal quantities of good new milk and 
boiling water ; stir in Hour until considerably thick, (less so than 
fritters,) keep In a warm place (where they will remain at about 
the same temperature as when first made) until they have risen ; 
then add as ur.ich warm milk (half water will answer) as you will 
have emptyings; add a teaspoonful of saleratus ; mix not too 
hard ; put in tins and let rise ; then bake in a moderate oven one 
hour, and you will \vdvi> beautiful bread. Care should be taken 
that the bread does not rise too much before baking, else it will 
not be so good. 

Graham Bread. 

Good Graham bread is of itself aai anti-dyspeptic, 
but as if is too often made, the greater healthfullness 
is not a sufficient inducement for the family to eat it 
when they can get any ©ther. Almost as soon as 
it is cold, it becomes hard and tasteless. Bread 
made as follows will be preferred to fine wheat bread 
by many. The ingredients given are calculated for 
two loaves : 

Take 3 pints of warm water (sweet milk is better), 1 teaspoon- 
ful of salt, a teacup % full of good hop yeast, and make a sponge 
as in fine. Hour bread. Keep in a warm place, and when light, 
work in a piec< of pulT-erized soda the size of two peas, and Gra- 
ham Hour to make it just moist enough to cleave to the dish. — 
Let it rise again in the same pan; when very light, sprinkle flour 
©n the moulding board and mould into two loaves; when this 
rises again, bake from 50 to t>0 minutes. The Graham flour re- 
quires soda when it is ^unnecessary for fine flour bread. Add 3 
tablespconfuls of molasses in making the sponge, if you think it 
improve- the flavor. 

Steamed Corn Bread. 

The following makes a very palatable and healthy 

change from wheat bread : 

Mix thoroughly 1 cup of sweet, and 2 of sour milk, 3 of corn 
meal, 2 of flour, 1 ol syrsp or molasses, audi teaspoonful of soda. 
Place it in a pan and* steam it over boiling water steadily for 3 
hours. 

Lime Water Instead of Soda. 

Sometimes bread by standing too long before ba- 



Light Biscuit. 345 

king becomes sour. Lime water is said to be bet- 
ter than soda for correcting acids in dough. An 

old housekeeper says : 

I slack a small piece of lime, take the scum off of the top and 
bottle the clear water, and it ie ready for use. A bottle full will 
last all summer. Two or three tablespoonfuls will entirely sweet- 
en a batch of rising sufficient for four or five large loaves. 

Rye and Indian Bread. 

Thi3 is fhe regular " stand-by " with our Yankee 
cousins "down east," but has not yet come to be 
fairly appreciated "out west." The following is 
the way our grandmother made it : 

Take about 2 quarts indian meal and scald it; then add as much 
rye meal, a teacup of molasses and a half pint of lively yeast. — 
If the yeast be sweet, no saleralus is necessary. If sour put in a 
little. Let it stand one or two hours till it rises; then bake it 
about three hours. 

Light Biscuit. 

If there is one thing that mere than another caus- 
es the good housewife to be anxious, it is that her 
biscuit may be light, sweet and white. The follow- 
ing is the way to make that kind : 

Take 2 pounds flour, a half pint of butter milk, half a teaspoon- 
ful of saleratus; put into the buttermilk a small piece of butter 
or lard rubbed into the flour ; make it about the consistency bf 
bread before baking. 

Bread Biscuit. 

Everybody likes good bread biscuit, and if made 
after the following rule they will please everybody : 

Take 3 pounds flour; half a pint indian meal, a little butter, 2 
tablespoonfuls lively yeast; set before the fire to rise over night; 
mix it with warm water. 

Hot Rolls. 

There is a sort of magic about the name that 

02 



$46 Old-Fashioned Short Oake. 

makes one hungry. Made after the following rule, 
they will meet the anticipations of an ordinarily viv- 
id imagination : 

Warm 1 ounce butter in half pint milk and add \% spoonfuls 
of yeast and a little salt. Mix the above with 2 pounds flour.— 
Let it rise an hour or over night in a cool place ; knead it well, 
add % teaspoonful saleratus, and make into seven rolls, and bake 
them in a quick oven. 

Hot Cross Buns. 

These will be found delicious : 

Rub % of a pound of butter into 2 pounds of flour, then add X 
of a pound of moist sugar. Mix well together>with the above 1 
pint of new milk made warm, 3 well beaten eggs, 1 tablespoon- 
ful of yeast and a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. 

Lemon Tea Cake. 

Rub % pound of butter into a pound of flour; add % pound of 
finely silted sugar and 2 eggs, grate the rind of 2 lemons and 
squeeze in the juice of one. Mix all well together, roll out the 
paste, cut into shapes and bake in a slow oven. 

Real Old Fashioned Short-Cake. 

Who does not remember the old fashioned short 
cake, that our mothers or grand mothers used to 
make when we had visitors. Sometimes the short 
cake would not be short at all, and then the number 
of excuses that would be made ! Short cake made 
after the following directions will not be like the 
short cake that Jonathan's aunt made when he made 
her a visit. He remarked that his aunt made some 
short cake but he "thought it had three weeks' len'- 
th'nin into it !" You maybe sure there will be no 
lengthening in this. 

First sift tbe flour, the amount depending upon the number to 
be fed. For half-a- dozen hearty eaters, say \% pounds of flour. 
Make a funnel of the middle of the pan or bowl of flour, pour in- 
to it a quart of sour milk, warmed but not heated. Dissolve a 



Strawberry Short Cake. 347 

tablespoonful of salt in a little water, ■•■ ir i. 1 into a pint oi rich, 
sweet cream, if yon an 1 in a cream c : . and have it in plenty, 
if not, use clean tat drippings that have been rooked, Never put 
raw lard or butter into a short cake. Pour the shortening-, warm- 
ed, into the funnel, and stir the whole together until thorough- 
ly incorporated in a very stiff batter. Then dissolve a dessert 
spoonful of refined saleratus in a few spoonfuls of water, and stir 
it until it pervades the entire mass equally. Put the batter into 
well greased pans, an inch thick, bake in a moderately hot oven 
30 to i0 minutes, and the result will be a genuiue, good, old fash- 
ioned short cake. 

Another. — Here is another short cake that may- 
be still older fashioned, the method of baking is cer- 
tainly more primitive, but we doubt if they were as 
good: 

One quart of buttermilk, 1 tablespoon of lard, (unmeltcd) ; salt 
to taste ; roll out ; make diamonds with a fork, and place in a 
spider and set before the glowing coals of a fire-place. 

Healthy Tie Crust. 

The following makes not only an excellent but a 
healthy pie crust : 

One cup of sour cream; half cup of lard ; tablespoon of salt. 
Rub the lard and salt through the flour; add half teaspoon of so- 
da to the cream, and wet up as you would with water. 

Strawberry Short Cake. 

This is a favorite dish with everybody and a rec- 
ipe for making a good strawberry short cake like the 
following is worth more than double the amount paid 
for the book : 

Into 3 pounds of flour rub, dry, 2 teaspoons heaping full of 
cream tartar ; add % tea cup of butter, a little salt, 1 teaspoon- 
ful of soda dissolved in a pint of milk and water. Mix quickly 
and thoroughly, roll to an inch in thickness, and bake 20 minutes 
in a quick oven. 

Take a quart of straAvbenies and add cream and sugar to make 
a sauce. For this purpose small sized, rather acid berries, with 
sprightly flavor, are preferable. 

When the short cake is dune divide in three layers, butter 
them, and spread the strawberries between. Eat while warm. 



348 Kasrjberry Short Cake, 

Rasy^erry Shortcake. 

All that was said in reference to strawberry short- 
:it be said here: 

;'ii(l cut in 

tin, then 

ad so on far three 

_ 

in a li ' lay on a few small lumps of but- 

. .'an hour. Serve with sweetened cream. 

\ssks Jell Cake. — Don't fail to try this : 

Tak imp i <: molasses; 1 tea spoonful of soda, 2 of cream 

ilk, 2 cups of Hour : stir all 

tbe dripping pan", and spread the mo- s 

SmeAr it with the jelly 

:'■ 10 COOl. 

' Les. 

es rightly cooked make a fine breakfast disli. 

8 and ingredi- 

. 

■■r, salt ; flour to H 
c kly. 

Wai - Llk, 1 ounce but: 

I 8 >ur enough to m 

:. 

Oku . -- * . 'I yeast, milk and wa- 

ll >urs, and bakeramuf- 

>ody r to make muffins, 

aer than they 

as a 12 '.iieral r . - > rrmch to the re- 

. The folk) wins: makes 

\ ery i xcellent n . 

I 

. 
warm 





(beam Muffins, 349 

Ckeam Muffixs.— These should be baked in cups, which are 

kept especially for the purpose, and never wet or greased, but 

wiped clean with a dry cloth, that the muffins will not stick ; af- 

time they will shine like Tarnish on the side next to 

Mix 1 pint soar cream, (but not very sour,) 1 pint flour, 

>nful salt, 24" teaspoonful soda or saleratus, whites 

and yolks of 2 eggs beaten separately. Stir in the whites the la*t 

Water Muffins. — These should be baked in 

rings filled about half full. 

Take 1 quart flour, % teacupjeast, 1 tablespoon salt, and warm 
water enough to make a thick batter ; beat it with a spoon. Let 
it rise; 8 hours, and bake 15 to 20 minutes. 

SfORE MUFFINS. — " There's luck in odd numbers, 
Rory O' Moore," but we think there's more 
luck in even numbers, and so add one more way of 
making muffins: 

I quart new milk, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoon f dtter 

:e of an egg. Warin the milk, and mix with other ingredi- 
ents a- night : in the morning turn into muffin rings, or drop on 
tin*, and bake a light brown. To be eaten with butter for break - 

Good Biscuit. 

We are not as fond of biscuit as many people, and 
think there would be le3s dyspepsia an tion 

if there was less hot bread of any kind eaten, but all 
this matters not, so long as people will have the 
* hot biscuit and butter." 

uspoonfula cream tartar, 1 of soda and J£ teaspoonjful 
; 1 fine ana mixed with 1 quart of flour. Rub in a 

i ter the size of an e^g ; m ix up soft with thick tour 
,• buttermilk, and bake quickly. 

Rice Breakfast Cakes. 

Try the following ; it is more healthy than bis- 

'.: % pound rice over night. Early in the morning boil it 
>ft, drain oif the water, and mix with it % pound oi butter; 



350 &ood Busk. 

set it away to cool. When cold, stir in a quart of milk and add 
a little salt. Stir in % dozen eggs well beaten, and % pint sifted 
flour, one after the other. Beat the whole well, bake on the grid- 
dle in cakes about the size of a small dessert plate. Butter them 
and send to the table hot. 

Good Rusk. 

Good rusk ! ' ' Aye, there's the rub ! " Of those 
who know how to make good rusk, it cannot be said, 
" their name is legion," but it may be, if every body 
will buy this book and make their rusk after the fol- 
lowing recipe : 

Take enough bread dough to till a quart bowl, 1 teacup of melt- 
ed butter, 1 egg, 1 teaspoonful of saleratus ; knead quite hard, 
roll out thin, lap it together,, roll to thickness of a thin biscuit ; 
cut out with biscuit mold, and set in a warm place to rise, 20 to 
30 minutes. Bake them and dry thoroughly through, and eat 
them with your coffee. They may be made with hop yeast, and 
sweetened. 

Another. — One pint of milk, 1 teacup of yeast — mix it thin ; 
when light, add 12 ounces of sugar, 10 ounces of butter, 4 eggs, 
and flour sufficient to make it as stiff as bread When risen again, 
mold and spread it on tin. 

Egg Rusk. — The following makes a nice rusk: 

Beat 6 eggs with 1 pound sugar, and add 3 ounces butter melt- 
ed in 1 pint of milk. Mix these with flour enough for a batter, 
and add 1 gill of yeast and a half teaspoon salt. When light, add 
flour and mold. Make into small cakes and let them stand a 
short time to rise, and then bake. 

Breakfast Cake. 

Here is something nice for breakfast, with which 
if you have a fragrant cup of coffee and a boiled egg, 
you will not go hungry: 

Take 1 quart sifted flour, 1 tablespoonful of butter, 3 teaspoon- 
ful s of baking powder, (which is bona and cream of tartar proper- 
ly combined,) mix these thoroughly into the flour with a table- 
spoonful of sugar, then add 2 .veil beaten eggr,, and sweet milk 
sufficient to form a thin batter. Bake in a moderately hot oven. 

Another Breakfast Cake.— 3 eggs, 3 cups of wheat flour, 3 
enps of unbolted flour, a little salt, 1 quart of milk. Bake quick. 
Some use sour cream and sod" instead of sweet milk. 



Indian Corn Oake. 351 

A Nice Breakfast Dish, 

t The following makes a very palatable dish for 
breakfast, besides being economical in saving the 
dry bread : 

Slice a few cold biscuit, or some dry, light bread ; fry tlicra 
slightly in a little butter, or nice gravy. Beat 3 or 4 eggs, with 
half a teacup of new milk, and a pinch of salt. When the bread 
is hot, pour the eggs over it, and cover for a few minutes; stir 
slightly, so that all the eggs may be cooked. 

Indian Corn Cake. 

There is no better breakfast cake than one made 
of nice corn meal, light, soft and sweet, as they 
should be. We give two or three ways of making 
them, all good. The first is the process of a Connec- 
ticut Yankee housekeeper : 

Mix together 2 cups of flour, 1 of Indian meal, 2 teaspoonf uls 
cream of tartar, 1 teaspoonful soda, and a little salt ; add to this 

1 egg and 2 tablespoonfuls of sugar beaten together, 2 cups of 
milk, and a piece of butter the size of an egg. Bake until it is 
thoroughly cooked through. 

Another. — Take 1 quart sour milk, 2 teaspoonfuls of salera- 
tu6, 4 ounces of butter, 3 eggs, 3 tablespoonfuls of flour and corn 
meal sufficient to make a stiff batter. 

Another and Better. — Take 2 cups Indian meal, 1 cup flour, 

2 eggs, large teaspoonful melted butter, 2 small teaspoonfuls of 
cream tartar, 1 small teaspoonful soda, 1 large spoonful brown 
sugar dissolved in milk — of which add enough to make it as soft 
as ginger bread. 

Corn Dodgers. 

This is the most primitive form of the Indian corn 
meal cakes, except perhaps the " hoe-cake." Here 
is a good specimen of the " dodger " family : 

Take 3 pints of unsifted yellow corn meal, 1 tablespocnful of 
lard, aud 1 pint of milk ; work all well together, and bake iu 
• ikes the size o n the hand, and au inch thick. To be eaten hot, 
with butter, molasses, or both, as preferred. 



552 Craokera 

Crackers. 

J. B. Kupfer of this city makes the very beit 

crackers that we ever ate, but of course we cannot 

promise to give the recipe he uses in making them. 

Here is the way to make a very excellent cracker: 

Take 1 pint of water, 1 teacup of butter, 1 teaspoonful of soda, 
2 of cream of tartar, flour enough to make as stiff as biscuit. . It 
will not need pounding. Let them stand in the oven until dried 
through. 

Butter Crackers. — Here is something better 

than the above : 

Take 10 cups flour and 1 of butter, 1 teaepoonfuf of soda, and 2 
of cream tartar, with water enough to form a very stiff dough; — 
rub the butter and cream of tartar through the flour, and dissolve 
the soda in the water, roll thin and bake quickly. With these 
crackers and vegetable oysters we make oyster soup. 

Another.— For 2 quarts of flour, 1 cup of butter, and 1 tea- 
spoonful of salt. Rub thoroughly together and Avet up with cold 
water. Give it a good beating, and beat in flour to make quite 
brittle and hard. Break off pieces and roll out each cracker by 

itself. 

Mock Oysters. 

There are several ways of making mock or artifi- 
cial oysters, that answer yery well, for those who 
are not partial to the veritable bivalve. Here is one: 

To 3 grated parsnips add 3 well beaten eggs, 1 teacupful of 
sweet cream, 1 tablespoonful of butter, 3 tablespoonfuls of flour, 
a little salt, and fry them the same as griddle cakes. 

Here is another : 

Artificial, Oysters. — To a pint of grated green corn add half 
cup of milk, 1 egg, small piece of butter, pepper and salt to suit 
the taste, 3 tablespoonfuls of flour; cooked as griddle cakes. 

Still Another. — Grate a^ many ears of green corn as will 
make 1 pint of pulp; add 1 teacup of flour, }{ I e . nip of butter, 
1 a^g and pepper and salt to suit the taste. Droi« aad fry in but- 
ter. . . 



Vegetable Oyster. 353 

Vegetable Oyster. 

A great many people raise vegetable oysters or 
salsify in their gardens, who make no use of them 
simply because they do not know how to cook them. 
But it is a really luxurious vegetable, and pays as 
well for raising as any other in the garden. Cook 
as follows : 

Slice 2 quarts of salsify and boil 2 hours in milk and water ; — 
then add 1 cup of butter, 1 of sweet cream, with pepper and salt 
to taste. Toast some thin slices of bread a delicate brown, place 
them in small dishes or platters, and pour the oysters over them 
and serve. 

Egg Plant. 

This is another product of the garden that most 
people know better how to raise than to cook. The 
egg plant fruit is a real luxury when rightly cooked. 
Try this way : 

Peel and slice the plant, soak in salt and water 10 minutes, 
then steam five minutes. Make a batter of 1 pint of sweet milk, 
Yi a cup of butter, Seggs, 1 teaspoonful cream of tartar, % tea- 
spoonful of soda. Mix with flour to the consistency of batter 
cakes; dip the slices and fry in butter to a light brown. We call 
them delicious. 

Green Corn Stew. 

There are several nutritious and delicious dishes 
which may be gotten up from green corn. The prim- 
itive way of gnawing it from the cob is the poorest 
way of all. Cooked in the right way it is healthy, 
and the reason why it is injurious to some persons, 
is because they eat so many things with it. 

It you desire a delicious dinner, take 12 ears of green corn, split 
the kernels, and cut them from the cob, put the cobs in a porce- 
lain kettle, cover then with cold water, aud boil them an hour. 
Take out the cobs, scrape the chit from them with the back of 
a knife, and return it to the kettle and pour in the corn, add 



3o4 Green Corn in Winter. 

more hot "water if thick, and boil % of an hour. Then put in a 
plat of milk and some pepper ; as soon as it boils up remove it 
from the kettle, add butter and salt to suit the taste. These last 
mentioned ingredients must not be put in while ovrr the fire, for 
the}' will cause the milk to curdle. 

G-reen Corn in Winter. 

A good many people cut green corn from the cob 
then lay it on plates or tins and dry for winter use; 
that is a good way, but this is better: 

Take sweet corn, when tender and full of mil]:, geald it well by 

pouring boiling water upon it, then cut it off the- cob unci pack 

in water tight vessels, stone jars are the best; • . < r of corn 

about two inches thick, and sprinkle over it a 11 layer ofcourso 

table salt; then alternately another layer of c -alt until 

the jar is full; after which'put on a cover to ii' 3.e the jar, and 

place a stone or other heavyweight upon it. ij 1 d-aw'its own 

pickle, aud the weight will keep it covered. many jars as 

needed can be packed in this way. When ws for use, soak 

it over night, putting a little soda in the water itlffl; and 

wh ie cooking add a very small quantity, to b g ste, of 

loaf sugar. Corn prepared in this way can hardly be distinguished 
from that picked fresh from the garden. 

Chicken Corn Pie. 

The following is something nevs, and out of the 
common run of dishes, but is nevertheless vouched 
for as being excellent. It certainly smacks of good- 
ness, if not epicureanism: 

Prepare two chickens as for frying; then put them clown and 
let them stew in a great deal of good, rich, big] 
vy, until they are just done. Then have ready picked 2 dozen 
ears of green corn; take a very sharp knife and - a clown 

once ortwice, |and then scrape the heart out, with the rest al- 
ready shaved clown; then take a bake pan, (a ch place a 
layer of corn on the bottom of the pan, then a lay;- of the chick- 
en, and so on until you get the chicken ail in. 'I In q cover with 
com, and pour in all the gravy, and put a small Iftmp of Putter 
on the top, and set it to baking, in not a very hoi Qy ;.. As soon 
as the corn is cooked it will be ready to send to the I able. It can 
either be sent in the pan it is baked in or turn ■ mother 
dish. Have plenty of gravy or it will cook dry. 

Pop Overs. 

What's in a name ? These pleasant breakfast 



Wedding Johnny Cake. 355 

cakes would hardly attract anybody's notice under 
a less "taking" name. They are good. 

Take 4 cups flour, 4 eirgs, 4 cups milk, a piece of butter the size 
of a small hens egg, melted, and fa teaspoon suit. 

Corn Meal Crullers. 

These are a western invention, and like most 
western things, they are decidedly good. 

Beat 4 eggs light, and pour on them 1 quart of sour milk (if 
swtjet milk, cream of tartar must be used) ; add half a teaspoon- 
ful o£salt, and a small teaspoonful of soda ; stir them all togeth- 
er, and then stir in sifted eorn meal enough to make a very stiff 
batter. Have ready a frying-pan, half full of hot lard, into which 
drop the batter from a spoon ; when nicely browned, turn them 
over, and when done, lay them on a collander to drain, and send 
to the table hot. 

Wedding Johnny Cake. 

The following makes a large, delicious cake, and 
need not be limited to the demands of Hymen only, 
or we fear that somebody would want to get married 
every other week. 

One pint of sour cream, same of sweet milk, half cup of hutter, 
3 eggs, tablespoon of salt, same of soda, 1 quart of meal, 1 pint of 
flour, 1 pint of raisins, % pint citron. Bake in a six-quart tin pun 
one hour. 

Savory Toast. 

" Toast and coffee" are proverbial for breakfast. 
The quality of the toast may be varied much by a 
little pains. When you tire of plain dried and 
scorched pieces of bread covered over with half- 
melted butter, and hard enough to break your teeth, 
try the following : 

Put a piece of butter the size of a walnut into a sauce-pan, a 
dessert spoonful of mustard, a wine glass of vinegar, a dessert 
spoonful of anchovy sauce, some pepper and cayenne, and a quar- 
ter of a pound of cheese broken into pieces. Stir it well until 
dissolved, when spread on toasted bread. 



356 Buckwheat Oakes. 

Buckwheat Cakes. 

There is nothing healthier or more palatable for win- 
ter use than buckwheat cakes, or in the primitive 
vocabulary, " flapjacks, '"griddle-cakes, etc. Some 
poetical genius says, " When one comes in from his 
out-door labor, with his inward man cramped and 
chilled with the icy breath of winter, what gives 
him more whole-souled satisfaction than to see a 
pretty, smiling wife loading the table down w* ith 
great piles of buckwheat cakes, hot and steaming 
from the ample griddle." 

Use a stone vessel ; take about 2 quarts of Av&rm water, and a 
pint of sweet milk, a little salt, and a teacupful of good hop 
yeast ; stir in iiour until you have good batter. Let it rise until 
quite light, then bake on a griddle. Leave about a pint of the 
batter, to raise th# next batch, and you will have better cakes af- 
terwards than at first. You will set at night, just before retiring, 
and have nice, light cakes for breakfast. 

Here is another : 

First, start the cakes to rising, by mixing them with light emp- 
tyings, warm water and buckwheat flour, letting it stand to rise. 
Just before baking, put in saleratus enough to sweeten it. Then 
what cakes there are left after baking, put to soak in warm wa- 
ter, and when soft, mix in (adding more warm water) more salt, 
and more flour. Thus there is nothing lost, and the cakes are 
much improved. 

Fritters. 

The following is one plan for making choice frit- 
ters. We think there is nothing better. 

Beat 10 eggs thoroughly, mix with 2 quarts cold water, 1 tea- 
spoonful salt, add flour to make a batter the thickness of griddle 
cakes ; fry by the tablespoonful in fresh, hot lard. Excellent, 
especially if eaten with maple molasses. 

Fritters of Cake and Pudding.— Cut plain pound or rice 
cake into small square slices half an inch thick ; trim away the 
crust, fry them slowly a light brown, in a small quantity of fresh 
butter, and spread over them when done a layer of apricot jam, 
or of any other preserve, and serve them immediately. These 
fritters are improved by being moistened with a little good cream 



Oyster Toast. 357 

before they are fried ; they must then be slightly floured. Cold 
plum pudding sliced down as thick as the cake, and divided into 
portions of equal size and good form, then dipped into batter, 
and gently fried, will also make an agreeable variety of fritter. 

Use for Broken Cakes. 

The careful housekeeper will always be anxious 
to "save the pieces." All pieces and fragments of 
caka may be economically used as follows : 

Cut the pieces in thin slices, lay in a deep dish, and pour over 
it a custard made as follows : Beat the yolks of 3 eggs with 2 ta- 
blespoonfuls of sugar, add 1 pint of milk and season as liked. — 
Put it in a covered pail, set in a kettle of boiling water ; when it 
has thickned, stir in the whites of the eggs beaten to a froth, then 
pour on to the cake. Soft molasses ginger cake is very good, 
treated in this way. Several kinds of cake may be used in the 
same dish. 

Omelet. 

There are few better or more palatable dishes for 
breakfast than an omelet. Make it as follows: 

12 eggs, beaten as for custard, 1 cup of sweet, thick cream, a 
little salt ; have your spider well buttered, pour in your mixture, 
set it over a slow fire, stir it occasionally until it thickens, pour 
immediately into a deep dish. 

Asparagus Omelet. — The following will be 
found a very nice breakfast dish : 

S: jam 2 pounds of freshly cut asparagus until it is tender : chop 
tine and mix with the yolks of 5 and the whites of 3 C'lgs, well 
beaten, and 2 tablespoons of sweet cream ; fry and serve quite 
hot. If you have not the conveniences for steaming, the aspar- 
agus may be boiled in as little water as possible. 

Another Omelet. — Here is an omelet that many 
prefer to the above : 

Take 4 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 cup of milk, and a little 
sali . Beat the whites of the eggs separately and add to the above 
(which should be well stirred together), just before cooking. — 
Butter a spider well, and when hot pom- in the omelet. Cook 
vi-rv slowly on top of the stove and keep the vessel covered. 

Oyster Toast. 

The following makes a savory dish, tempting to 
almost any appetite : 



358 Pish Chowder. 

Take 20 oysters, chop them small and add 1 anchovy bruised 
fine, and as oauch cream as will make them of a good consisten- 
cy. Put all into a saucepan, add a little cayenne pepper. When 
quite hot, spread on hot, well buttered toast, and serve hot. 

Scalloped Oysters. 

The "delicious bivalves" can hardly be cooked 
in a more tempting style than the following : 

Strain your oysters, and put a layer of them on the bottom o 
your dish with bits of butter, salt, pepper and a very little mace » 
spread over them a layer of baker's bread (at least three days 
old), grated ; then a layer of oysters with the seasoning and' a 
laj'er of grated bread. Fill the dish in this way having a layer of 
bread on top. Pour in a cup of the liquor of the oysters, and 
bake one hour. Don't have your layers of bread too thick. 

Some prefer rolled crackers to the grated bread. 
Either way " will pass.-' 
Fish Chowder. 

To know how to make a regular epicurean Fish 
Chowder is considered by some a sine qua non — an 
incomparable accomplishment. Anybody can take 
the following directions and majke a chowder that 
will make a "fishing party " "roughing it in the 
bush," fairly smile as they come in from their labo- 
rious sport. " Chowder Parties " are an institution 
of the northwest, wherein any number of ladies and 
gentlemen, in the waning summer, pack up the nec- 
essaries and pitch their tents in some romantic «. Q pot 
upon the shore of some one of the innumerable small 
lakes, set like mirrors among the low hills, or on 
the edge of the spreading prairie, for a few days- 
fishing, hunting and recreation. The following will 
make a chowder u all your fancy painted it," and 
more too : 



Chicken Salad. 359 

The lirv-t fish for chowder are black and striped bass, pickerel, 
haddock, etc. Take 6 or 8 arood sized slices of salt pork, put 
them in the bottom of an iron pot, and fry them till crisped.— 
take 01 -'•■: Leaving the fat; chop the pork fine. 1 lit in 

the pot a layer offish, cut in pieces an inch thick and 2 inches 
squan :' split crackers, some of the chopped pork, a lit- 

tle chopped onion, and then another layer offish, split crackers, 
and sea I >o this till your pot is nearly filled. Then just 

cover • th water and stew slowly till it is tender. 1 ake 

out the fish ana pat in the dish you intend to serve it in, and set 
it where it will keep warm. Thicken the gravy with powdered 
cracker; add catsup if you like. Boil up the gravy once and pour 
over the til!; squeeze in the juice of a lemon. Add salt it neces- 
sary. 

Chicken Salad. 

There is nothing more appropriate and few things 
more common as a basis of refreshments where they 
are to be ' ' handed round " for an evening party, 
than salad. It is considered not only pal- 

atable, but a luxury. The following ingredients are 
calculated to make salad for twenty persons : 

Take 10 pounds chicken before it is cooked, and 4 bunches of 
celen volks of 1 dozen eggs stiff, and add % of a bottle 

of sweet oil, beating all the time; add salt, pepper and mustard, 
mixing these with some vinegar. When all are beaten in, a»d 
just before pouring on to the chopped chicken and celery, add }4 
cup of cold water to whiten the dressing ; add also very slowly 
the well-beaten whites of the eggs. Cut the boiled chicken with 
a knife and do not chop it, also cut the celery with a' knife. Do 
not nour the dressing on to the chicken and "celery until just be. 
fore serving^ t. 

Chicken and Turkey Patties. 

The following makes a very good dish besides 
usinp* . ll P the fragments : 

Mince so nit- c ' o1 'd ehicken or turkey; put to it some of the gra- 
vy or if you havv none, line your pie-dish with a paste ; put in 
your minced meat ' Tv or,c some flour and butter together, and lay 
bits ail over the- meats ; then nearly fill the dish with water ;— 
season with pepper and salt, and, if liked, a little ground mace; 
cover with a nice paste, and c0i? k till the paste is done. 

To Bake Shad. 

Shad, baked in this style is capital. Try and see. 



860 Baked Apple Dumplings. 

A layer of shad and one of pepper and allspice ; also a very lit- 
tle whole mace, and so on until the stone jar or pan be tilled. — 
Cover it with vinegar, tie over it several thick sheets of paper, 
send it to the baker and let it stand in the oven over night. 

Codfish Balls. 

The following will make a dish that every lover 
of fish will call delicious : 

Cut »p your fish in small pieces and soak in warm water until 
fresh. Pare and boil some potatoes, mash hue ; take two-thirds 
fish, one-third potatoes, and mix well together ; season with pep- 
per and a little butter ; make them in balls, roll in flour and Chen 
fry in butter until brown. 

Potato Dumpling. 

The following unique dish will be found to pos- 
sess virtues of its own : 

Peel some potatoes and grate them into a basin of water ; let 
the pulp remain in the water for a couple of hours, drain off and 
mix with it half its weight of flour ; season with pepper, salt, 
chopped onions and sweet herbs. If not moist enough, add a 
little water. Roll into dumplings the size of a large apple, 
sprinkle well with flour, and throw them into boiling water. — 
When you obserTe them rising to thotop of the saucepan, they 
will be boiled enough. 

Egg Dumplings. 

Try the following for a ehange : 

Make a batter of a pint of milk, 2 well beaten egg;^^ a teaspoon- 
ful of salt, and flour enough to make as thick as for pound cake ; 
have a clean sauce-pan of boiling water, let the water boil fast, 
drop in the batter by the tablespoonful ; four or fiw minutes will 
boil them ; take them with a skimmer on a dish, put in a bit of 
butter, and pepper over, and serve with boiled or cold meat. For 
a little dessert put butter and grated nutmeg, with syrup or 
sugar over. 

'Egg Dumplings for SOUP. — The following is 
vouched for by One who knows it to be good : 

To half n pi nt , f m jj]- |Hlt o well beaten eggs ; add as much 
flour «ts will make a batter rather thicker than for pancakes, and 
& little salt ; drop a tablespoonful at a time into boiling soup. 

Baked Apple Dumplings, 

This dish is not as often served £* lfc nse( ^ t0 ^e 
when we were younger than we are n&^ : 



Italian Oheeee. 361 

Prepare a paste as for boiled dumplings, only instead of one 
large one, make several small ones ; avoid lapping the paste, as 
much as possible, after the fruit is introduced ; butter the pan in 
which they arc baked, to prevent their sticking ; lay the folded 
side down ; bake three-quarters of an hour, and serve hot ; eaten 
with cream. 

Strawberry Dumplings.— Crust to be made the same as di- 
rected for shortcake ; roll half an inch thick ; put about a gill of 
strawberries for each dumpling. Bake, steam or boil for half an 
hour. 

To Cook Peas. 

The common way is to pick the peas when it is 
time to cook them. The following is a better way : 

Gather and shell the peas at night, and put them in cold wa- 
ter, in which you have previously thrown a handful of salt. In 
the morning pour off the water and put them in boiling water. — 
Let them stew for 35 minutes, and then put in %" cupful of sweet 
cream, with a piece ol butter the size of an egg, and atablespoon- 
ful of Hour. Stew for 5 minutes longer — send to the table hot, 
and you have a dish fit for an epicure. 

Potato Stew. 

The following is far healthier than pork stews : 

Four quarts of water ; % dozen good sized potatoes pared and 
sliced; % cup of rice; handful of tinely cut cabbage; 2 good sized 
onions sliced; 3 tablespoons even full of salt; 1 tablespoon of but- 
ter ; a little pepper. When nearly ready to serve up, beat to- 
gether one etrg with a little flour and water and stir in. 

Italian Cheese. 

The following makes a very nice dish for tea : 

Boil a knuckle of veal ; when perfectly cooked, strain the liq- 
uor, remove the fat, take out the bones, chop the meat fine ; add 
1 grated nutmeg, % ounce each of cloves, allspice and pepper. 
Put the entire mixture on the fire to simmer gently, and when 
the liquor becomes jelly, pour in a mold, and let it remain until 
the next day. You may line the mold with hard boiled eggs cut 
i)i slices. This is very nice for tea. 

Prof. Liebig's Soup, 

The following is the celebrated Prof. Liebig's 
plan for making a soup. He aays this will form the 
best and strongest soup that can be extracted from 
meat : 
P 



362 Horse Radish Sauce. 

Chop lean beef as fine as for mince meat. Mix it uniformly 
with its own weight of cold water, heat it slowly up to the boiling 
point, and let it boll briskly for one or two minutes. Strain the 
liquor through coarse linen, add salt and other seasoning. 

Soup from Mince Pie Meat. 

Many, even good housekeepers are in the habit of 
throwing away the liquor in which beef has been 
boiled for making mince pies. It should be gener- 
ally known that it contains material for good soup. 

After the meat is taken out, boil the water if necessary until 
it is strengthened by evaporation of the superfluous moisture ; 
add vegetables and seasoning, and you have a good dish for the 
following meal. 

Dry Bean Soup. 

Many people who cannot afford the more costly 
luxuries deny themselves those that are cheap simply 
beeause they do not know how to avail themselves 
of them. The following dish costs next to nothing 
and it makes a meal fit for a king : 

Take a quart of nice beans, and put them to boiling by eight 
o'clock, or nine o'clock at least, then wash a joint of pork, that 
is, afterjnos of the meat is used off; put it in at half past nine 
o'clock,* and at eleven add some corn dumplings ; don't forget to 
salt them, and to add some red pepper. At half past eleven, add 
some wheat dumplings. Boil until dono. 

Mincemeat. 

The following is handed us as something a little 
extra in the way of mince meat : 

Take IX pounds of currants ; a pound of the best raisins, stoned; 
% of a pound of almonds, cut very small ; the peel of 1 lemon, 
minced small ; the juice of 1 lemon ; 3 apples, minced small ; 1% 
ounces suet, shred very fine ; au eighth of an ounce of nutmeg"; 
the same of cinnamon, the same of mace, and the same of cloves. 
Put the whole into a jar and keep it dry. When wanted, mix it 
with either wine or brandy. 

Horse Radish Sauce. 

There is nothing more excellent with both hot anc( 
cold beef tfyan the following horse radish sauce : 



Sweet Pickled Peaches. 363 

2 tablespoonfuls of mustard, the same of vinegar, 3 tablespoon- 
fuls of cream or milk, and 1 of pounded white sugar, beaten well 
up together with a small quantity of grated horse radish. This 
is, of,course, to be served up cold. 

Apple Jonathan. 

This is no relation of " brother Jonathan," so you 
ma j make a meal of it and have no fear of cannibal- 
ism : 

FiU a baking dish % full of sliced tart apples, sweeten to taste; 
mix wheat meal with water and milk (a little cream will make 
it more tender) into a batter ; pour over the fruit until the dish 
is full. Bake until the crust is of a handsome brown color. 

Sweet Pickled Tomatoes. 

Sweet pickles are generally favorites with most 
people. The following are nice either with or with- 
out spices : 

Take smooth, half-ripe tomatoes, scald and peel them, place 
them in a small necked jar, keeping them whole. Scald vinegar 
and sugar together the same as in pickling for peaches, pour it 
over the tomatoes to cover the fruit, of which the jar must be 
full. Then set it in a boiler of hot water and let it boil till per- 
fectly heated through, and then cover and seal up. 

Sweet Pickled Peackes. 

These are universal favorites and to know how to 
make them "real nice," is worth more than the 
price of this book to any housekeeper. This is the 
way: 

Take any quantity of good ripe peaches, pare them and stone 
them ; cover them in a stone jar with vinegar, and let them re- 
main in it four days ; then drain and boil in a little water until 
they shrink ; take them out and drain them again ; take half the 
vinegar which they were soaked in, and to every quart add 3 
pounds of su^ar ; tie up some mace, allspice and cloves in a small 
bag, and boiito form 'a middling syrup ; pour it boiling hot over 
the peaches, and set them away to cool. 

The Best way to Cook Chickens 

The following is highly recommended, and from 

our own experience we can vouch for it£ excellence ; 



364 Cooking Without Milk. 

Cut the chicken up, put it in a pan and cover it over with wa- 
ter ; let it stew as usual, and when done make a thickening of 
cream and flour, adding a piece of butter, and pepper and salt ; 
have made and baked a couple of shortcakes, made as for pie 
crust, but rolled thin and in small squares. Lay the crust on a 
dish and pour the chicken gravy over while both are hot. 

Fine Pork Sausages. 

There are few people to whom a rightly made 
sausage is not a luxury. It can be made according 
to the following directions : 

Take % lean and % fat pork ; chop very fine. Season with 9 
teaspoonfuls of pepper, 9 of salt, 3 of powdered sage to every 
pound of meat. Warm the meat that you may mix it well with 
your hands ; do up apart in small patties with a little flour mixed 
with them, and the rest pack in jars. When used, do it up in 
small cakes, and flour the outside, and fry in butter or alone. — 
They should be kept where it is cool but not damp. Nice for 
breakfast. 

Welsh Rarebit. 

This is said by some to be too rich for health, but 
if eaten sparingly it will be found delicious and not 
injurious : 

If your cheese is soft, cut it into small slips, or if hard, grate 
it down ; dust thickly with flour ; have ready a spirit of wine 
lamp and a deep tin dish ; put in the cheese with a lump of but- 
ter and set it over the lamp." Have ready the yolk of an egg 
whipped, with half a glass of Madeira and as much ale. Stir your 
cheese when melted until it is thoroughly mixed with the butter, 
then add gradually the egg and the wine ; keep stirring till it 
forms a smooth mass. Season with cayenne and grated nutmeg, 
and serve with a thin hot toast. 

Cooking Without Milk. 

Now and then people are obliged to cook without 
milk. Nice cakes are made without either eggs or 

milk as follows : 

Tea Cakes. — Stir to a cream 1}{ teacupsful of siurar, }{ teacup - 
ful butter, half a nutmeg. Then add 1 teacupful of wafer, 2 tea- 
spoonfuls of cream of tartar, 1 teaspoonfdl of soda, to 1 quart of 
flour, which should be put through a sieve. Add flour till stiff 
enough to roll thin ; cut into cakes, bake in buttered pans, in a 
quick oven. 

Pumpkin and Squash Pibs, can be prepared also without milk 



Mince Pies, 365 

by using water and corn starch, say for 3 pies, 2 teacupfuls of 
pumpkin, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of corn starch, allspice and 
sugar to taste. 

Costard PiES,-4eggs, 4 tablespoonfuls of corn starch, 2 tea- 
cups water, sugar and nutmeg to taste. This will make 2 pies. 
Mix the starch with a small quantity of the water. Custards 
may be made in the same way. We use Oswego corn starch. 

Mince Pies. 

There is no better pie than a good mince pie, 
while a poor one is hardly worth the eating. The 
following is given confidently, as the very best way 
of making mince pies : 

Chop tine 5 pounds of meat and 7 pounds good apples ; add 3 
pounds raisins, 1 pound currant jelly and 4 ounces butter ; mace 
^pr cinnamon 1 ounce. When this is prepared, make a crust of % 
the usual quantity of lard, and % of fat, salt pork, very finely 
chopped ; all of which should be finely rubbed in flour and wet 
with cold water. Bake in a slow oven one hour. 

Pineapple Pie. 

If you want a real luxurious pie, try the follow- 
ing: 

Pare and grate large pine apples, and to every teacup of grated 
pineapple add half a teacup of fine, white sugar ; turn the pine- 
apple and sugar into dishes lined witb paste ; put a strip of the 
paste around the dish, wet and press together the edges of the 
paste ; cut a slit in the center of the corer through which the va- 
por may escape. Bake thirty minutes. 

Pumpkin Pie. 

A chapter on pies with a " pumpkin pie " left out, 

would be worse than the play of Hamlet with the 

character of Hamlet left out, so we hasten to give the 

most approved method of making the regular New 

England Thanksgiving " pumpkin pie." 

Stew a large-sized pumpkin in about 1 pint of water till dry ; 
rub through a colander, add 2 quarts of milk scalded, 6 eggs, a 
, heaped tablespoonful of ginger, half as much cinnamon, 2 coffee- 
cups of molasses, 2 coflfee-cups sugar, 2 teaspoons salt. Bake in 
a pretty hot oven, one hour at least. 



366 Pies. 

A Delicious Lemon Fie. 

The following makes a delicious lemon pie : 

The juice and rind of 1 lemon, 1 cup of sugar, the yolks of two 
eggs, 3 tablespoonfuls of flour, milk to fill the pie-plate; line the 
plate with paste, pour in this custard, and bake till it is done. — 

Beat the whites of 2 eggs, add 4 tablespoonfuls «f powdered 
sugar spread over the pie. and brown lightly in the oven. 

Strawberry Pie. 

The following is a very palatable pie : 

Lin© your dish with crust made in the usual manner ; fill the 
dish with strawberries of medium size; sprinkle on a little flour, 
and sugar in proportion to the acidity of the berries. Cover with 
a thin crust. 

Cream Pie. 

A delicious pie is made as follows. The quanti- 
ties mentioned will make three common sized pies: 

Mix together 1 egg, 4cups sugar, a piece of butter the size of an 
egg, 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoonful cream tartar, % teaspoonful soda, 
1 cup sweet milk. Pour this on tin plates, and bake light brown. 
When cold, split open and put in the custard, made as follows : 
Take 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, X cup of flour, 1 pint milk; flavor with 
lemon. JBeat the eggs, sugar and flour together ; boil the milk, 
and while boiling stir in the mixture, letting it cook a few sec- 
onds. 

Here is another cream pie worth trying : 

Three eggs, a cup of sugar, and a cup of flour, a little salt and 
nutmeg, or lemon to flavor, (to be baked in 2 large square tins.) 
For cream inside or between the two cakes, X a pint of milk, 1 
e &£» % a cup of sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour — egg, sugar and 
flour miexd together and stirred ia the milk while boiling hot. — 
Flavor with lemon or vanilla. 

Vinegar Pie. 

This is good — try it. 

Mix 2 cups of vinegar, IX of sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, 
and a piece of butter the size of a walnut. Prepare a paste to re- 
ceive these ingredients, and bake the same as any ordinary pie. 

Cracker Pie. 

The following will make two pies, equal to mince: 

Take 3 Boston crackers, split them and pour 1 teacupful of 
boiling hot water over them, 1 teacupful of raisins chopped, 1 do. 



Puddings. 367 

sugar, 2 do. molasses, 1 do. vinegar, 1 teaspoonful cloves, 1 do. 
cinnamon, 1 do. allspice, 1 do. pepper, and a little salt. Bake 
between two crusts, and should be eaten while fresh; 

Puddings- 

Our second chapter on puddings may "be intro- 
duced With the simple remark that all the following 
may be relied on as worthy of the attention of any 
housekeeper. We don't think there is one amongst 
them that with reasonable care will disappoint you 
in the serving, though the old saying is that " the 
.proof of the pudding i3 in chewing the string." In 
any of these yon need not go to that test. 

Cottage Pudding No. 2. 

Mix 2}.; tablespoonfuls of melted butter, 1 cup of white sugar, 
1 egg, 1 cup of sweet milk, 1 pint of flour, 1 teaspoonful of soda 
and 2 of cream of tartar ; flavor with lemon. Bake in a mode- 
rate oven % hour. 

Serve with the following sauce: 

1 e gg> % CU P of butter, l)o cups white sugar, },£ glass wine, 2 
tablespoonfuls of cream. Set a dish containing it in a vessel of 
hot water, and stir half an hour. 

Good Christmas Pudding. — The following 
makes a small, light, rich pudding, which should be 
served with wine sauce. Any sized pudding may 
be made, by maintaining the proportions ; 

Take 3 ounces of flour and the same weight of finely grated 
bread crumbs, six ounces of nice beef suet (kidney suet) chopped 
very small, ounces of raisins (weigh the raisins after they are 
stoned), 6 ounces of well cleaned currants, 4 ounces of minced ap- 
ples, 5 ounces of sugar, 2 ounces of candied orange-peel, % tea- 
spoonful nutmeg mixed with pounded mace, a very little portion 
of salt, a winegfassful of brandy, and three whole eggs. Mix all 
these ingredients well together, tie them tightly in a thickly- 
floured cloth, and boil for four hours. 

Telegraph Plum Pudding. — This makes a rich, 

toothsome pudding: 



368 Puddings, 

2 pounds of currants, 1 pound of raisins, 2>£ ounces flour, 1% 
ounces beef suet, % pound moist sugar, 4 eggs, 1 ounce of citron 
and 1 ounce of lemon peel, cinnamon, cloves, mace, anda tumbler- 
ful of wine and brandy. To be boiled at least nine hours. 

Citron Pudding. — One spoonful flour, 2 ounces sugar, 2 ozs. 
citron peel, a little nutmeg, % pint of cream. Mix them to- 
gether with yolks of 3 eggs, put them in teacups, and bake them 
in a quick oven. 

Poor Man's Fudding. — If the only recommend 
for this pudding was in its being a poor man's pud- 
ding, we don't believe it would have a trial once a 
year, but it is really a good pudding for anybody. 

Half a pint of molasses, half a pint of boiling water, 1 teaspoon - 
ful of soda and a little salt. Flour to make as stiff as sponge cake. 
To convert it into a rich man's pudding, add 1 cup chopped rais- 
ins, and one cup chopped suet. Steam two or three hours. Serve 
with liquid sauce or sugar and cream. 

Sauce for Above. — 1 cup brown sugar, 1 of water, half a cup 
of butter, worked together with a teaspoonful of flour; after it 
boils, stir in balf a'cup of brandy or other spirits. Vinegar or 
lemon juice will answer. 

Another Pudding. — 3 teacupfuls flour, 1 teacupful milk, 1 of 
chopped raisins, 1 of suet, 1 of molasses, 1 teaspoonful saleratus, 
nutmeg. Put in a bag and boil an hour and a half. Serve with 
sauce to taste. 

Thanksgiving Pudding. — 1 pomnd of flour, 1 pound beef suet, 
1 of currants, 1 of raisins, 4 eggs, 1 pint of milk, and spicing to 
taste. Tie in a bag ; allow no room for swelling, and boil 4 hours. 

Christmas Pudding without Eggs. — If eggs 
are scarce, or plenty at 50 cents per dozen, try the 
following : 

1 pound of raisin i, stoned, 1 pound of currants, washed and 
dried, 1 pound beef suet, shred very fine, 1 pound brown sugar, 1 
pound flour, sifted, % pound candied orange peel, 6 ounces bread 
crumbs, 1 teaspoonful of mixed spice, )i pint of milk, 1 teaspoon- 
ful salt, the outside rind of 2 large carrots scraped fine ; all to be 
well mixed together, and poured into a mold and covered with 
thick paper, then with a good cloth and tied tight, plunged into 
boiling water and kept boiling six hours. To insure a pudding 
turning out whole, it is a good plan after, taking it out of the 
boiling water to dip it instantly into cold. 

Green Corn Pudding. — Take 1 dozen ears of sweet corn, 1 pint 
cream, 3 eggs, 4 tablespoonfuls flour, 1 tablespoonful sugar, a 
little butter, and salt to the taste. Grate the corn, and beat the 



Puddings. 369 , 

yolks and all, well toget her- -Hiding- the whites of the eggs (very 
well beaten) the last thing before" putting into the hake-pan, 
which must be well greased. Bake one hour in a good oven. 

Queen Pudding. 

The following is one of the richest puddings known 
to the science of cookery : 

Take 1 pint of nice bread crumbs, add 1 quart of milk, 1 cup of 
sugar, the yolks of 4 eggs, well beaten, the rind of a fresh lemon, 
grated tine, a piece of butter the size of an egg, then bake until 
well done. Now beat the whites of the 4 eggs to a stiff froth, 
adding a teacupful of powdered sugar in which has been previous- 
ly stirred the juice of a lemon. Spread over the pudding a layer 
of jelly, any kind to the taste, then pour the whites of the eggs 
over, and place in the oven until lightly browned. Serve with 
cold cream. 

Victoria Pudding. — The following makes a very 
rich pudding: 

Six ounces of fresh butter worked up to a cream, 4 ounces of 
loaf sugar mixed in with the butter, 4 yolks of eggs beaten, 6 
ounces of bread crumbs, 2 rinds of lemon grated. Line the dish 
with a light crust, and a layer of jam or marmalade ; then pour 
in the mixture and bake in a very slow oven for half an hour. — 
Froth the whites of the eggs, with a little loaf sugar and place 
them over the pudding, and put in the oven just before serving. 

Fruit Pudding. — This is one of the best of the 
plum pudding family : 

Y% pounds of raisins, l^ of currants, 1% of beef suet, 1 pound 
of hour, % pound of bread crumbs, 4 ounces of citron, 4 ounces 
of lemon, 4 ounces of orange peel, 2 rinds of lemon, grated, juice 
of 1 lemon, 4 ounces castor sugar, 10 eggs, 1 teaspoonful each of 
nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon, 12 bitter almonds, 1 pint of new 
milk, and a small particle of salt. Mix all together gradually 
over night, and add a little milk in the morning if required. Boil 
7 or 8 hours. 

Blackberry Pudding. — Berry puddings are al- 
ways acceptable. The following is recommended : 

IVIix 1 quart of sour buttermilk, 1 teaspoonful of saleratus, a 
little salt, and hour enough to make it rather stifc Roll out, cov- 
er with blackberries, roll up, put in a buttered basin and steam 
\)4 hours. Serve with sugar and cream. Tart apples may be 
used instead of berries. 

Baked Indian Pudding. — Here are two baked 
Indian Puddings that will be well worth a trial. 



370 Puddings. 

Scald % pint Indian meal with 1 pint of boiling: water or milk, 
which is better; add 1 large tablespoonful of wheat flour mixed 
with another pint of cold milk, 1 tablespoonful of ginger, 1 cup- 
ful of molasses, 1 tablespoonful of butter, or a small piece of suet 
chopped fine. Add raisins if liked, when the pudding has been 
baking about ten minutes. Bake thoroughly. 

No. 2.— Mix 3 pints Indian meal, 1 of wheat flour, 2 of sweet 
milk, 1 of sour milk, 1 cupful of molasses, 1 tablespoonful of salt 
and 1 teaspoonful of saleratus. Bake<5 hours. 

Chicken Pudding. — The following makes a sa- 
vory pudding : 

Beat well 10 eggs, add 1 quart rich milk, 3^ pound melted but- 
ter, pepper and salt, stir in as much flour as will Make a batter. 
Take 4 young chickens, and cut them up, then put them in a 
sauce pan with salt and water, thyme and parsley. Boil these 
until nearly done, then take them out, and put them in the batter 
and bake, and send up the gravy in a separate dish. 

Steamboat Pudding. — Don't fail to try this be- 
cause you are not on board a steamboat ; it will be 
found equally good on land : 

Take 9 eggs, 1 pound of white sugar, % of a pound of butter, 
1 teacupful of sweet milk, and 1 teaspoonful of soda, 2 teaspoon- 
fuls of cream tartar, and 1 lemon. Separate the yolks from the 
whites of the eggs, and beat them separately. Beat the whites to 
a stiff froth, and add after the rest is put together. Take % of a 
lemon, and put in the paste to eat on it, made of butter and flour, 
boiling water and sugar. Last of all, put it in a pudding mould, 
and steam it in a steamer for 3 hours, and be sure to keep your 
fire up, and not let it stop boiling. 

Batter Pudding. — The following is easily made 
and takes but a few moments to prepare it : 

Take an iron kettle, butter it well, then pour into it a quart of 
milk and a little salt; then beat 4 eggs, and mix into the eggs 1 
teacup of flour; then let the milk come to a boil of five minutes; 
then dip it into buttered cups and let it get cold, and eat with 
sweetened cream. 

Quick Pudding. — Here is another of those hasty 
puddings convenient for inconvenient occasions : 

Scald a quart of milk; take 3 tablespoonfuls of cold milk, 3 
of flour and 3 eggs; rub well together, and pour the batter in 
while the milk is hot. Then bake half an hour. Butter and su- 
gar beat to a cream for dressing, flavored with nmtmeg. 



Baked Squash. 371 

Potato Lemon Pie. — Here is something a little 
out of tli© common run of puddings, but it is none 
the less desirable on that account : 

Take 8 ounces of potatoes, the peel of 2 large lemons, 2 ounces 
of white sugar, and 2 ounces of butter. Boil the lemon peel un- 
til tender, and beat it in a mortar with the sugar , boil the pota- 
toes and peel them ; mix all together with a little milk and 2 
eggs; bake it slightly. 

Farmer's Indian Pudding. — The following 
makes a most excellent pudding for six persons : 

Take 2 quarts of boiling milk, stir in 2 cupful s of Indian meal, 
a handful of tiour, 2 teaspoonfuls of salt, % cup of molasses, 3 
pints sliced sweet apples, and }{ pound of fat pork. Bake three 
hours. It is good enough for the President. Try it all ye lovers 
of farmers' tare. 

Baked Apple Pudding. — The following makes a 
very nice, light pudding, good for dyspeptics: 

Pare and core sour apples and till a deep dish with them, add- 
ing a little water ; then .take flour with a little salt, saleratus, 
and shortening, (proportions a ; for soda biscuit.) and stir in but- 
termilk to the consistence of a thick batter, and spread this over 
the apples and bake. Serve with sauce to the taste. 

Baked Tomatoes. 

The following is said by those who know, to be a 
luscious way of preparing this excellent fruit : 

Peel the tomatoes in the usual way and bake them in a tin ba- 
king pan. When done, season with salt, butter and pepper. 

Baked Squash. 

It may be new to some people, but it is neverthe- 
less true, that a Hubbard or any other fine-grain, 
dry-meated squash may be baked, and makes a nice 
dish cooked in that way. 

Cut up the squash into pieces of convenient size and bake as 
you wouid sweet potatoes. It is thought by many to be superior 
to baked sweet potatoes. 



$72 3?o Settle Coffee* 

Baked Potatoes. 

The best way and the healthiest, to cook potatoes, is to roast 
or bake them in the oven. The potatoes should be washed per- 
fectly clean, and baked and eaten skins and all. The skins when 
rightly baked are the best part of the potato. When they are 
suoieieutiy cooked, the quality is improved by cracking the skins 
open, and then allowing them to dry out a few minutes before 
taking them to the table. 

To Settle Coffee, 

A great many ways are given for making good 
coffee. The main secret of a good cup of fragrant 
coffee is to have a good quality of coffee, browned 
just right, and then made in a clean, sweet coffee 
pot, and last but by no means least, have your cof- 
fee well settled, so that it will pour out like liquid 
amber. 

A common method of clearing coffee is by the addition of an 
egg. The white is the only valuable part for the purpose, and 
a email portion of one is needed for an ordinary family. It 
should be mixed with the ground coffee before ttie Water 4b added. 
Clean egg shells will do very well. When eggs are 50 cents a 
dozen, they are not always at hand ; a bit of codfish, or even a 
pinch of sal f , is a very good substitute; and if the coffee is put to 
soaking in a little cold water over night, it will settle clear with- 
out the addition of anything. 

How to Cook Spinach. 

This is the earliest and to many most welcome 
spring vegetable, but is very apt to be spoiled in the 
cooking. It is important to know that it does not 
require any water, the expressed juice being suffi- 
cient to keep moist and free from burning. Cook 

ao follows : 

Boil 15 minutes after a very careful washing and picking, in a 
covered sauce-pan without water, and with a little Bait ; drain 
thoroughly, and pour over egg sauce; garnish with hard boiled 
eggs cut in rings. 



Oakee. 373 

German Tea Cake. 

The following will be found a nice cake for tea : 

The ingredients are flour 1 pound, butter % pound, yeast 2 
spoonfuls, 3 eggs, salt, sugar and warm milk. Take some flour, 
pour the yeast and some of the milk upon it; lay the butter, cut 
in pieces, on the flour, and put this mixture in a warm place un- 
til it rises. Then add the 3 eggs, salt sugar and warm milk, and 
mix them all well together until the paste does not stick to the 
gpoou. Roll the paste out into a long piec*-, which cut into five 
or six strips. Roll the strips separately to make them round, 
and sprinkle them with flour; plait them together and form them 
into a wreath. Let it stand again for some time in a warm place 
until it has risen sufficiently. Strew finely chopped almonds over 
it. Brush it over with yolk of egg, and bake it in a very warm 
oven. 

Mountain Cake. 

One who judges from experience after frequent 
opportunities of testing its qualities, declares this 
the best cake ever made in America. 

1 pound of flour, 1 pound of sugar, % pound of butter, 6 eggs, 
1 cup of sweet milk, 1 teaspoonful of cream tartar, }{ teaspoon- 
ful of soda. Flavor with vanilla. Bake in four pans', and while 
a little warm, put the several cakes together as you would jelly 
cake, but with frosting. 

Corn Starch Cake. 

If you would try your hand at something nice, 
take this : 

Mix 1 egg, 2 cups x>f flour, 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of sugar, 1 tea- 
spoonful ol soda, 2 of cream tartar, a piece of butter half the .size 
of a hen's egg, melted ; bake the same as for jelly cake, in shallow 
tins, and when cold, pile in layers, with a custard between made 
as follows : Take 1 egg, 1 cup of milk, sugar to taste, 2 tea- 
spoonfuls of vanilla extract, 2 teaspoonfuls of corn starch. Boil 
the milk, heat the egg and corn starch together, and stir into 
the boiling milk which must be previously sweetened ; when cold, 
stir in the vanilla ; the custard must cool before being put with 
theeake. 

Dessert Cake. — This is simple, inexpensive, 
and easily and quickly prepared. 

Mix 4 eggs, 2 quarts sweet milk, 1 teaspoonful salt, % teaspoon- 
ful soda, and 3 teacupfuls flour. Spread it thin in tins and bake 
fifteen or twenty minutes. To be eaten with butter and sugar. 



374 Cakes, 

Scalded Ginger Cake. — This cake is highly 
recommended by an experienced housekeeper : 

Put 1 pint of molasses and 2 spoonfuls butter in a pan, heat to 
boiling:, then pour it on to 1 quart of flour. Stir it well and when 
cool add 2 eggs well beaten, 1 tablespoonful of soda, dissolved in 
2 large spoonfuls of brandy, and 1 of ginger. Add enough flour 
to make it thick enough to roll ; work it out thin and bake in 
square tins. 

Tea. Cakes.— Mix 2 cups cream, 3 cups sugar, 5 eggs, the whites 
beaten to a stiff froth, 1 teaspoonful of soda, flour to make about 
as stiff as pound cake. Salt and spice to the taste. 

Pound Cake. — The following is highly recom- 
mended to us by one who knows whereof she speaks 
by actual trial : 

Stir 1 pound of butter and 1 pound of granulated white sugar 
until they form a cream. Beat the whites of 1 pound of eggs (9 
large or 10 of common size) until they will remain upon an in- 
verted plate; stir these with the butter and sugar, then add the 
yolks also previously well beaten. Mix with this 1 pound of 
flour, 1 small teaspoonful of saleratus, and flavor with lemon. — 
After stirring the whole well together, pour it into two basins 
well buttered, and with white paper in-the bottom. Two-quart 
basins with perpendicular sides are best. 

Fruit Cake. — Here is an excellent cake : 

Stir 1 pound brown sugar and 1 pound butter until they form 
a cream. Beat the whites of 10 eggs until they will remain upon 
an inverted plate; stir these withihe butter and sugar, then the 
yoiks also well beaten. Mix with this 1 pound flour, 1 small tea- 
spoonful of saleratus, and flavor with lemon. Stir the whole well 
together, and then add 1 pound figs sliced, 1 pound currants, X 
pound citron, and 2% pounds of the best kind of raisins. The 
currants need washing thoroughly, and the seeds should be re- 
moved from the raisins. Flavor with nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon 
and lemons, as desired. 

Frostixg. — For a half pound loaf. The whites of 3 eggs, beat- 
en until they will remain upon an inverted plate ; to which add 
pulverized white sugar, a little at a time, until of the desired 
consistence. After spreading it on the cake, set in a warm oven 
to dry; when thoroughly dried, spread on another layer and dry 
as before, until of the desired thickness. 

Sponge Cake. — The following process of making 
sponge cake is imparted by one long noted for the 
excellence of her pastry : 



Oakes. 375 

Beat 6 eggs, yolks and -whites together, 2 minutes. Add 3 cups 
white sugar and beat 5 minutes; 2 cups flour with 2 teaspoenfula 
cream tartar, beat 2 minutes; 1 cup cold water with 1 teaspoon- 
ful soda dissolved in it and beat 1 minute ; the grated rind and 
juice of a lemon ; a little salt and 2 more cups of flour, and beat 
one minute. Bake in rather deep cup pans. This will make 
three quite large sheets, and it does not dry quickly as most 
sponge cakes do. 

Another Sponge Cake. — Equal weights of eggs and sugar 
(pulverized,) half weight of flour ; beat the yolks and whites sep- 
arately (very light ;) mix the sugar and yolks first, then add one 
grated lemon and beat for fifteen mintes, then add the whites and 
inix well ; lastly stir in the flour and mix gently. 

Mock Sponge Cake. — 2 cups flour; 1 of sugar, 1 of milk, 1 ego;, 
1 teaspoonful saleratus, 2 teaspoonfuls cream of tartar. 

Molasses Sponge Cake.— Mix 1 cup of molasses, IX of flour, 
3 eggs, and a teaspoonful of soda. Bake in a quick oven. 

Silver Cake. — This is one of the unfailing re- 
sorts of almost every good housekeeper, and together 
with gold cake forms the staple on many occasions. 

Stir to a cream 1 cup of butter with 2 of white sugar ; add the 
whites of six eggs beaten stiff; 1 cup of sweet milk, with half a 
teaspoonful of soda dissolved in it. Stir 1 teaspoonful cream of 
tartar into four cups of flour and add to the cake. Flavor with 
lemon, vanilla, or rose water. 

Gold Cake. — Use the above, but use the yolks in place of the 
whites of the six eggs. 

Sxow-Ball Cakes. -This is highly recommended. 

l'cup of white su2, - ar, % CU P of butter, the whites of 5 egg3, 1 
teaspoonful of soda, and a little nutmeg ; add flour enough to 
make a stiff batter ; bake in patty tins. 

Almond Cheesecake. — If you want something 
a little extra, try the following : 

2 ounces of sweet and 1 ounce of bitter almonds pounded with 
lump sugar to prevent them boiling, 2 ounces of butter, melted 
very thick ; the yolks of 3 tggs, well beaten ; half a noggin of 
brandy, and a little nutmeg. The whites of the eggs are to be 
beaten to a very light froth, and allowed to stand for a quarter 
of an hour to drain, and the light part put in the last thing. The 
butter must be nearly cold when added. 

Economy Cakes. — These can be recommended as 
very good : 



376 Oakos. 

Take 1 quart of mashed potatoes, 1 egg, }4. teacup w 1 ! eat flour, 
a tablefcpoonful of butter, and add milk to form a thick batter.— 
Season with pepper and salt. Mix all well together ; make into 
cakes % inch thick, and fry brown where meat was previously 
fried. 

Cream of Tartar Cake. — Try this occasionally 
for a change : 

Take 3 cups of sugar, 3 eggs, % cup of butter, 1 cup new milk, 
% teaspoonful of soda, 1 teaspoonful of cream of tartar, and 4 
cups of flour. Mix the cream of tartar with the flour, aud the 
soda with the milk, and add a little salt. Season to the taste. 
Bake in shallow tins, and cut in squares. 

Rice Cake. — £ ounces of ground rice, 3 ounces of flour well sift- 
ed, and 8 ounces of loaf sugar also to be well sifted, 6 eggs with 
half the whites : the whole to be beaten together for twenty min- 
utes, and baked three-quarters of an hour. 

Puff Cake. — Take 2 cups of white sugar, 3 eggs, 1 scant cup 
of butter, 1 cup of sweet milk, 1 teaspoonful of saieratus, 2 of 
cream of tartar, 3 cups of flour. Flavor to taste. Stir together 
at once. 

Hard Molasses Gingerbread.— Take 2>£ cups molasses, % 
eup of shortening, butter is preferable, fill the tup with boiling 
water, stir until the butter is dissolved, a tablespoonful ginger, a 
teaspoonful soda, stir quiekl}- ; knead with flour enough to make 
it hard, roll thin, bake in a quick oven twenty minutes. 

A Cheap, Soft Gingerbread.— 1 pound of flour, 1 cup of mo- 
lasses, half a cup of sour milk, 2 teaspoonfuls of ginger, 1 eup of 
butter, and 1 teaspooful of saieratus ; bake by a slow tire for an 
hour. 

Another Gingerbread.— Take 1 quart molasses, 1 pint lard, 
2 pints *©ry sour cream, 5 heaped tablespoonfuls soda, 2 of gin- 
ger, 1 nutmeg, mix into a dough as soft as can be rolled ; roll^thin 
and bake. 

Soft Sorghum Cake. — The following is spoken 
highly of by those on whose judgment we rely : 

Take 3 eggs, 1 pint of sorghum molasses, 1 of sour cream, half 
nutmeg, 1 teaspoonful of soda. Beat the eggs and molasses to- 
gether until light, thicken with flour to the consistence of batter 
cake ; this will be enough to till two common sized stove pans. 

Frosting for Cake. 

The following makes a capital frosting for all 
kinds of cake : 



Frostings, 377 

Take 1 pound white sugar and just water enough to dissolve it; 
the whites of 3 eggs beaten a little, but not to a froth; add them 
to the sugar and water. Put the mixture into a deep dish, and 
place the dish in a kettle of boiling water, and beat till quite 
thick. Take from the fire and beat till eoid and thick enough to 
spread with a knife. 

Another Frosting. — Here is another frosting 
that is highly recommended : 

Beat the whites of 4 eggs to a stiff froth, then add 1 pound white 
sugar, % ounce gum arabic and 1 teaspoonful of starch, all pul- 
verized and sifted, and lemon juice to flavor, and then stir the 
whole thoroughly. Lay* on one coat of frosting with a knife after 
the cake is coldj and let it stand over night, a^nd then lay on an- 
other coat, wetting your knife occasionally in cold water, the 
better to smootk and polish the last coat. 

Cookies. 

These are indispensible in all well-regulated fam- 
ilies on the breakfast table or on the tea table. 

Take equal proportions of butter, cream and molasses, atffible- 
spoonful »ach of ginger and spice, also a teaspoonful of soda. — 
Bake in a moderately^hot oven, and your cakes will be light and 
soft. 

Molasses Cookies. — 2 cups of molasses, 2 egf s, 1 cup of cream, 
1 teaspoonful of soda or saleratus ; season with nutmeg. 

Ginger Cookies.— 2 cups of molasses, 1 of butter, 7 tablespoon- 
fuls of water, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1 of ginger. Mix soft, 
roll and bake quick. 

Telegraph Cookies. — The following are the 
best cookies ever made, and we say it understand- 
ingly. For the past six years we have had them 
constantly on our table, and in all that time no stran- 
ger ever tasted them without speaking of them in 
words of highest commendation : 

Take 2 eggs, 2 cups of sugar, 1 cup of butter, ^ teaspoonful of 
soda, and flour — mix soft, roll thin and bake in a quick oven. 

Tea Crackers. — The following will be found 
first rate, and once tried they will not be neglected : 



378 Cakes. 

3 teacupfuls flour, 1 of lard, 1 of water, a large teaspoonful of 
salt. Mix all together, put it on the pie-board and work it well, 
adding flour until stiff, short, and perfectly smooth. Roll out as 
thin as a knife blade, prick with a fork, and bake well, but do not 
brown. 

Doughnuts. — Many families keep doughnuts al- 
ways on hand, for lunch, etc. The following will 
make doughnuts good enough for anybody: 

Take a teacupful of good hop yeast, 1 of molasses, 1 of ifteat 
fryings, 2 of flour, and iise salt to suit the taste. Mix in the even- 
ing and keep warm over night, and fry in the morning. 

Another Doughnut. — Try this ; Some think it 
better. 

To 1 quart of milk add X pound butter, 1% pounds sugar, 1 
teaspoonful of soda, and 2 ol cream of tart;n dissolved separate- 
ly in as little water as possible. Mix with ufficient flour, and 
boil immediately. 

Union Cake. 

Of course all friends of the Union, especially 
young men and maidens, will go in for this cake : 

Take 2 cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, Y% cups of sour cream, 2 
eggs, 1 teaspoonful of saleratus, }{ teaspoonful of nutmeg. When 
all are united, stir them up. 

Jelly Cake. — The following is vouched for by 

one who knows : 

Take 1 cup of sugar, 4 eggs 1 cup of flour, >* teaspoonful of so- 
da, dissolved in a tablespoonful of sweet milk, and 1 teaspoonful 
cream of tartar mixed in flour. Bake in one long tin, then spread 
with jelly, roll up and cut in slices. 

Huckleberry Griddle Cakes. — Stir in 1 even teaspoonful of 
soda to 2 quarts of sweet milk, 1 teaspoonful of salt, 1 pint of 
ripe huckleberries to make a thick batter; bake on a griddle as 
other cakes. 

Potatoe Griddle Cakes. — 1 quart of milk, 6 cold boiled pota- 
toes grated, 2 eggs, and flour enough to make a baKer. 

Crisp Gingeb Cakes. — These will be found first 
rate. 



M. Soyer^ dustard. 379 

Take 2 pounds of flour, 1 pound of sugar, 3 tablespoonfuls of 
ginger, wet with molasses, roll thin, cut in small cakes, and bake 
them quick. 

Ginger Snaps. — The following. is an approved 
way of making these indispensables : 

To )4, CU P butter and 1 pint molasses boiled together and then 
allowed to cool, add 2 tablespoonfuls of ginger, 1 teaspoonful of 
soda, and flour to roll. Bake quick in thin rounds, or a flat sheet. 

BuNNS. — The following is the manner of making 
these historical "aids to appetite:" 

Take ^ pint of milk, % cup of yeast, 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of 
sugar, make it stiff with flour; add nutmeg if you like. Bake in 
a quick oven. 

M. Soyer's Custard. 

The following is the recipe given by the celebra- 
ted French cook, M. Soyer, for making custard, a 
sufficient guarantee of its excellence : 

With 1 pint of boiling milk, mix 2 ounces white sugar, to which 
add the thin yellow peel of balf a lemon. Beat 4 eggs thorough- 
ly in a basin, and gradually add the prepared milk"(not too hot). 
Pass the mixture through a colander— fill custard cups, place 
them over the fire in a stew pan, with about 1 inch of water in it, 
and boil 10 to 12 minutes. 

To make Curry Powders, or Curry Paste, 

This is an article much used in cooking by pro- 
fessional cooks, for flavoring various dishes : 

Take turmeric 6 ounces, coriander seed 8 ounces, black pepper 
4 ounces, fenugreek 2 ounces, ginger 2 ounces, cayenne pepper}^ 
ounce, cummin seed X ounce, all thoroughly pulverized and 
mixed. 

Another.— Turmeric 5 ounces, coriander seed 3 ounces, black 
pepper 1 ounce, ginger 1 ounce, cayeune pepper 1 ounce, scorch- 
ed mustard 2 ounces, mace 2 drams; all pulverized and thorough- 
ly mixed. 

Plum Cat*up. 

The following recipe will answer for gooseberry 
catsup equally well, These catsups are great favor- 



380 Tomato Catsup. 

ites with those who are in the habit of using condi- 
ments constantly, as an agreeable change : 

Boil together for two hours, 9 pounds plums, 6 pounds sugar, 
and 3 pints vinegar. Just before removing from the fire, add 1 
tablespoonfal each of allspice, cloves and cinnamon. Keep in 
small jars well corked. 

Tomato Catsup. 

This is the best and most substantial condiment 
of the kind — "the real stand by " — most of the oth- 
er kinds are mere novelties that you soon tire of. 

Pick fair, ripe tomatoes, perfectly sound. Boil until they come 
to pieces, and strain the pulp through a wire seive. Boil again, 
and add pepper, allspioa, cloves and cinnamon, to suit the taste. 
No definite rules can be given for this, as tastes vary, and that 
is all there is to consult. Put in jars or bottles, and keep well 
sealed or corked. 

Asparagus Loaves. 

If you want to give some special friend a rare treat 
from your asparagus bed, try the following : 

Boil 3 bunches of asparagus, cut off the tops of two bunches, 
when tender, leaving two inches of the white stalk on the rest, 
and keeping; it warm ; stew the tops in a pint of new milk, with 
3 tablespoonfuls of butter, rubbed in flour, the yolks of 3 eggs, 
nutmeg and mace ; when it boils put the mixture into a loaf or 
rolls, with the crumbs scooped out ; put on the tops of the rolls, 
make holes in the top and stick in the remaining asparagus. 

To Cook a Ham. 

The following is an excellent way to cook a ham. 
Cooked in this way and nicely sliced, when cold, a 
ham is a great luxury : 

Boil 3 or 4 hours according to size; then skin the whole and fit 
it for the table. Then set in the oven for half an hour, cover it 
thickly with pounded rusk or bread crumbs, and set it back for 
half an hour longer. Boiled ham is always improved by setting 
it in an oven for nearly an hour, until much of the fat dries out, 
and it also makes it more tender. 

To Boil Fish. 

Try the following if you would get all the virtues 
of a nice trout or white fish : 



Drawn Butter. 381 

Fill the fish with a stuffing of chopped salt pork and bread, or 
bread and butter, seasoned with salt and pepper, and sew it up. 
Then sew it into a cloth that you may take it up without break- 
ing. Put it in enough cold water to cever it, salted at the rate 
of a tea-spoonful of salt to each pound of lish; and add about 3 
tablespoonfuls of vinegar. Boil it slowly for 20 or 30 minutes, or 
till the fin is easily drawn out. Serve with drawn butter and 
eggs, with capers or nasturtion in it. 

Drawn Butter. 

This enters quite largely into tlie preparation of 
many dishes, and a recipe for making it will be in 
place here : 

Rub 2 teaspoonfuls of flour into % pound of butter, and add 5 
tablespoonfuls of cold water. Put into a gravy dish and set in 
boiling water; let it melt and heat till it begins to simmer, and 
then it is done. If for fish put in chopped boiled eg^s and capers. 
If for boiled fowl, put in oysters before it-is melted and let them 
cook through while the gravy itself is cooking. 

Pickled Eggs. 

This is a great favorite with many, as a relishing 
accompaniment to cold meat, and when eggs are 
plentiful, it is by no means expensive : 

Boil the eggs till quite hard ; then after carefully removing the 
shells, lay them in wide mouthed jars, and pour over them scald- 
ing vinegar, well seasoned with whole pepper, allspice, a few 
races of ginger, and a few cloves. When cold, close the jars 
tightly, and in a month they are fit for use. 

Russian Bear. 

This is a name that has been adopted for a new 
style of pickle, and is consequently not half so bad 
as it sounds. This pickle is made of ripe cucum- 
bers, and is very popular with those wh« have tried 
it. The following is the process : 

Tak'> large ripe cucumbers before tbey are soft. Cut in ring?, 
pare and remove the seeds, and then cnt in smaller pieces if 
thought best. Cook the pieces very slightly in water just salt 
enough to flavor well. Drain and put in a sUme jar. Prepare a 
vinegar as follows : 2 quarts vinegar, a few slices of onion, some 
Cayenne pepper, whole 1 allspice, whole cloves, whole cinnamon, 



382 To Eoast a Goose. 

according to taste. Much cooking spoils the pickle. When ta- 
ken from the tire the pieces should not be soft enough to admit a 
silrer fork readily. 

Southern Mode of Cooking Rice. 

"Down south," where rice forms a much larger 
proportion of the common food than here, it is but 
natural to suppose that they would know better how 
to cook it than we do. Their method is as follows : 

Pick over the rice and wash it in cold water ; to 1 pint of rice 
put 3 quarts boiling water and X teaspoon of salt. Boil it brisk- 
ly }i hour, then turn off all the water and set it over a moderate- 
fire, uncovered, another % hour to steam, and it is ready for the 
table. The rice water first poured off is good to stiffen muslins. 

To Roast a Goose. 

Most people have an idea that a roast goose is far 
inferior to a roast turkey* but that is more on ac- 
count of not knowing the best method of cooking 
the goose, than any inherent inferiority of the goose. 
Try this method of roasting the goose and see if it 
is not as good as a turkey : 

Chop fine 2 ounces of onion and 1 ounce of green sage, 'and add 
a coffee-cupful of bread crumbs, a little pepper and salt, and the 
yolks of 2 eggs. Don't fill the goose quite full, but leave a little 
room to swell. Roast from 1 to IX hours, and serve with gravy 
and apple sauce. 

To Prepare Tripe for the Table. 

On page 261 we gave the process of cleaning 

tripe and getting into the pickle. The following is 

a method of preparing it for the table : 

Take a kettle of hot water, nearly boiling, put in a piece of sal- 
soda the size of a walnut, cut your tripe in small pieces, put one 
piece in at a time, and let it remain about 5 minutes, or longer, 
until it will scrape off easy; clean, soak in salt and water 2 days, 
and scrape each morning. It will be ready for cooking. Boil tU| 
well done. 



Prof. Liebig's Pood for Infants. 383 

Prof. Liebig's Food for Infants. 

It frequently becomes necessary to provide artifi- 
cial food for infants, and few know how to prepare 
it. Many a smart and promising infant has been 
brought to an untimely grave through want of this 
information. The celebrated chemist, Prof. Liebig, 
was induced by the suffering of an infant grandchild 
to look into this matter. He found that even the 
beat cow's milk was slightly acid, while the moth- 
ers milk is aUiali, and the cow's milk contains dif- 
ferent proportions of constituents. He found also 
that most artificial food, however carefully prepared, 
is still more acid, and that the flour is never chem- 
ically dissolved, and that full twenty per cent, of it 
never is digested, and the whole taxes the digestive 
system too severely. As the result of his investiga- 
tions, Prof. Liebig published the following prescrip- 
tion for what he terms rational food for infants. It 
is sweet, pleasant, and requires much less of it than 
of pure milk to satisfy them, while it nourishes them 
far better. It requires no more sweetening, and 
should have none ordinarily : 

In a small sauce pan carefully mix, so as to avoid the forma- 
tion of lumps, wheat flour, >£ ounce; milk, 5 ounces; bring- thi» 
mixture to a boil slowly, and keep it boiling for 3 or 4 minutes, 
and then remove it from the fire. During the time it is boiling, 
mix in another vessel malt, % ounce; water, 2 ounces; and 30 
drops of a solution containing 11 per cent, of the carbonate of 
potassa.-Then add this mixture to the hot contents of the sauce- 
pan, put on the lid and let it remain for half an hour undisturb- 
ed in a warm place, where the temperature 4 oes n °t exceed 118 
degrees. After the lapse of this time, pu| the sauce pan on the 
fire again till its contents begin to boil, *n/| then pass the liquid 



384 Balm of a Thousand Flowers. 

through a fine strainer. The exhausted bran will be retained up- 
on the sieve. 

Balm of a Thousand Flowers. 

This is an article that has. made snug fortunes for 
one or two manufacturers, but as a money making 
institution it has run its day. Still for all practical 
purposes it just as good now as it ever was, and as 
the " thousand flowers" of which it is composed are 
perennial, you may make the article for yourself at 
small cost. The recipe is sold at 25 cts. to $1. — 
Here it is as we received it from New York. 

Dissolve 4 ounces best white bar soap in 1 pint deodorized al- 
cohol ; then add 1 drachm oil of citronella, X drackm oil of rose- 
mary and % drachm oil of neroli. 

It used to be sold as a grand specific to remove 
tan and freckles, and to impart a rosy freshness to 
the complexion ; also as an excellent tooth- wash. — 
It is most valuable for this latter purpose. Pour a 
little into warm water, and use for a washing lotion, 
or a tooth-wash. 

Magic Painkiller. 

This has been sold under various names — " mag- 
ical cure-all," " wonder of the age," &c. It is good 
for rheumatism, gout, pain in the side, head, back, 
or joints, sore or inflamed eyes, cramps, convulsions, 
cholic, etc. : asthma, phthisic, liver complaint, con- 
sumption, croup, etc. 

Take best alcohol, 4 ounces, sulphuric ether, 12 ounces, lauda- 
num, 1 ounce, and oil of lavender, 2 ounces. Shake all together 
in a bottle and keep corked tight. 

Directions for use.— In all cases where there are no vW sores, 



Felonifuge. 385 

apply repeatedly to the parts affected, rubbing in -well with the 
hand. For sore eyes and inflamed sores that are raw, or dis- 
charge, apply the remedy around the parts, but not on the raw 
sore. For cramps, convulsions, colic, &c, applying externally, 
take 1 to 2 teaspoon fuls internally according to the age or 
strength of the patient, mixed always with a little warm water 
or herb tea. For croup, administer 3^ to 1 teaspoonful according 
to the age, with double the quantity of goose oil. 

Felonifuge. 

The following is a never-failing remedy for felons. 
We have given remedies on pages 73 and 225, but 
this is so simple, and as we have the assurance of 
an experienced physician that it was never known 
to fail, we give it here : 

As soon as the first stinging pain is experienced in the finger, 
wrap it up completely in a Spanish fly blister, and allow it to re- 
main until a cure is effected. 

To Remove Warts. 

We gave a l * wart and corn salve" on page 44, 
but this for warts is less trouble to apply : 

Take a small quantity of chloride of zinc and common flour, 
sufficient to make a paste, mixing with rain water. Apply it to 
the wart one night, and afterwards apply a bread and milk poul- 
tice, until the whole excrescence may be easily removed without 
pain or soreness. 

Instant Relief for Burns or Scalds. 

The following simple remedy has a magical effect 
upon burns or scalds, giving almost instant relief. 

Apply to the burnt or scalded surface raw cotton, or cotton or 
linen cloth saturated in a strong tincture or essence of pepper- 
mint, and keep wet for a short time. 

Cheap Paint. 

The following is a cheap and valuable method of 
using paints and dispensing wholly or in part with' 
oils, and making a- paint more durable than has ever 
Q 



386 Eau de Oologne, 

been produced by the ordinary modes of preparing 
paints: 

Add to 1 gallon of soft water, when boiling, 1 ounce of salera- 
tus, 2 ounces potash, and 1 pound gum shellac. Boil gently 
without stirring until the ingredients are well dissolved and 
mixed. The compound will then be ready to add to all kinds of 
paints, ground in oil, or in a dry state, and when properly mixed 
and applied to wood, iron, cloth, or other material will produce a 
beautiful and durable coat which will dry in two-thirds the time 
required for oil paints, and reduce the expense in oil fully one- 
half. 

Cold Cream, 

We gave one formula for making this " aid to the 
complexion," on page 232. Here is another direct 
from the boudoir of a fair Parisienne : 

Take olive oil 4 parts, White wax 1 part. Heat together till a 
uniform liquid mass is obtained ; perfume with rose, orange, lem - 
on, vanilla, or anything to your taste, and then stir constantly 
until it is cold. 

Eau de Cologne. 

The following is the recipe used by the manufac- 
tories in Cologne for making the celebrated Eau de 
Cologne : 

Mix 12 drops each of the essential oils of neroli, citron, berga- 
mot, orange and rosemary, with 1 drachm malabar cardamoms, 
and 1 gallon rectified spirits, the whole distilled together. 

Pleasant Evening Drink. 

A delicious evening drink is prepared as follows : 

Mix with a quart of spring water the juice of 6 oranges and 
that of 2 lemons, and sweeten with capillaire or syrup. 

Siae of Nails. 

The following table will show any one at a glance 
the length of the various sizes and the number of 
nails in a pound. They are rated at " three-penny" 
up to " twenty-penny. ' ' 



Vegetable Materia Medica, 387 



Length. No. per pound. 
3-p'v...l inch 557 

4 "" ...X% 353 

5 " ...1% 233 

6 " ...2 167 

7 " ...23^ 141 

8 " ...2% 101 
10 " ..-2% 98 



Length. No. per pound. 

12-p'y...3 inches 54 

20" ...3K 34 

Spikes... 4 10 

" ..AH 12 

" ...5 10 

" ...6 7 

" ...7 5 



From this table an estimate of quantity and suit- 
able sizes for any job can be easily made. 

Vegetable Materia Medica. 

There is no subject to which many wish to refer 
oftener than to that of the qualities and properties of 
the various species of vegetables that come frequent- 
ly under their observation. To meet that want we 
give a list here of the principal vegetables that enter 
into the medical preparations of the day. 

Alder.— This is an astringent, useful in bleeding at the lungs, 
or as a wash for ulcers. 

Arbor Vitae.— The oil extracted from the young leafy twigs, 
is recommended as a vermifuge. 

Angelica. — Aromatic, stimulant and tonic. Good in nervous 
ailments, indigestion, flatulence, etc. 

Arnica. — Used as a stimulant in paralytic affections, typhoid 
fevers, bruises, sprains, stiffness of joints," rheumatism, etc. It is 
procured at the druggists mostly in the form of tincture, plas- 
ters, etc. 

Ash, Prickly.— The bark and berries of the prickly ash are 
stimulant and tonic. They are almost a certain remedy for cold 
feet or hands, and all diseases dependent on a sluggish or languid 
circulation. Dose— from % to 1 teaspomful of the powdered 
bark and berries. 

Balm of Gilead Buds.— Steeped in spirits, excellent for bath- 
ing wounds. 

Balmony. — Serves as a tonic laxative and may be used in de- 
bility, costiveness, dyspepsia, jaundice, coughs and colds. There 
are but few forms of disease in which this article may not be used 
to advantage. Dose — an even teaspoonful of the powdered herb. 

Balsam Fir. — This a valuable expectorant and tonic, bene- 
ficial in coughs, colds, and all affections of the lungs. 

Barberry.— The bark is a tonic and laxative, useful in jaun 



388 Vegetable Materia Medica. 

dice, loss of appetite, weakness of the digestive organs, and in 
all cases where golden seal is recommended^ Dose — a teaspoonful 
of the powdered bark. 

Batberry.— The bark of bayberry is powerfully astringent and 
stimulating ; useful for cleansing the stomach and bowels from 
canker, scarlatina, dysentery and diarrhoea. A'decoction of the 
bark is also useful as a gargle for sore throat, and as a wash for 
ill-conditioned sores. 

Beth Root.— This is astringent, tonic and antiseptic ; maybe 
employed in all cases of hemorrhage, leuchorrhea, asthma and 
coughg. Dose — half a teaspoonful. 

Blackberry. — This is an astringent ; very valuable for diar- 
rhea — a decoction made from the small roots and bark of the 
larger roots. 

Blue Flag. — Useful in fevers, or to~expel humors from the sys- 
tem. Dose — half a teaspoonful three times a day. 

Boneset.— This is a well-known herb, and in localities where 
fever and ague prevail it is much used as an antidote for that. It 
is a laxative, tonic, and expectorant. A decoction of the leaves 
and flowers, taken while warm and in large quantities, will evac- 
uate the stomach in a very safe and gentle manner ; administered 
cold, it acts as a tonic and laxative. It is useful in colds, coughs, 
and pulmonary complaints. 

Burdock.— This is frequently a great nuisance to the farmer, 
and it ought to be valuable as a medicine to make up for the 
trouble its burrs occasion. The root is especially esteemed as 
an ingredient in some kinds of root beer. It is a mild cathartic, 
producing perspiration. The leaves are good in fevers to bind on 
the head and feet. 

Cayenne.— thfs is a well known kitchen vegetable, more com- 
monly known as "red pepper." It is a pure, powerful and 
healthy stimulant, and produces, when taken into the stomach, 
a sensation of warmth which diffuses gradually through the sys- 
tem, but without any narcotic effect. It is an excellent remedy 
for colds, coughs, flatulency, dyspepsia, etc. It should not be 
taken in large doses upon a cold or empty stomach, but in small 
quantities at first, gradually increasing the dose. 

Clematis. — (Virgin's Bower.) — Has active caustic properties. — 
Leaves are acrid and vesicant. The leaves are rubefaciant in 
rheumatism. 

Convolvus. — (Morning Glory.) — A well knoAvn plant with an 
acrid, milky juice. Used as a purgative. Jalap and scammony 
are made from plants of this genus. 

Catnii\ — In fevers promotes perspiration without raising the 
heat of the body. It is also valuable for injections. 

Chamomile. — This is a stimulant and tonic, useful in colds, fe- 
brile attacks and debility. A tea made of the dried flowers is 
soothing to the nerves, and is much used for infants. 

Cherry, Wild Black.— This has many virtues attributed to it, 



Vegetable Materia Medica. 389 

especially the bark, and on the strength of those is founded the 
popularity of Ayer's Cherry Pectoral. 

Cancer Root. — (Beech Drops.) — A leafless plant that grows 
in beech woods, erroneously supposed to be a parasite growing 
on the exposed roots of beech trees. The whole plant is power- 
fully astringent ; and the root is brownish, spongy, and very bit- 
ter and nauseous in taste. All parts of the plant are used. It 
was formerly supposed to be an antidote for cancers, hence its 
name. The plant was used in conjunction with white oxide of 
arsenic, and formed the once celebrated medicine, Martin's Can- 
cer Powder. 

Cleavers (Bed-straw).— A powerful diuretic, useful in inflam- 
mation of the kidneys and urinary obstruction. 

Comfrey.— Has peculiar mucilaginous properties, and is valu- 
able in all consumptive complaints. 

Coltsfoot.— (Wild ginger— Ginger Root.)— Stimulating tonic. 
A tea made of the root is good for hoarseness. 

Dandelion.— Tonic and diuretic, an excellent corrector of the 
bile, and an invaluable remedy in hepatic diseases. 

Dogwood (Cornus Florida).— The bark is successfully used in 
intermittent fevers, and is a valuable tonic. One of the most im- 
portant medicinal products of North America. 

Elecampane. — The root has a faint, aromatic odor, and a bitter, 
acrid taste. It acts as a gentle stimulant to the organs of secre- 
tion, promotes expectoration, and is diuretic and sudorific. 

Evan Root.— (Cranesbill geranium.)— This is a valuable tonic 
and astringent, useful for diarrhea, dysentery, sore mouth, de- 
bility, &c. 

Ginseng.— This is one of the most valuable of all the herbs, and 
is an important article of commerce. The root is tonic and ner- 
vine. It is useful in all cases of debility, loss-of appetite, neu- 
ralgic affections, and dyspepsia. Dose — half a teaspoonful of the 
root, powdered, more or less. 

Gold Thread. — This is astringent and tonic, useful as a gar- 
gle for sore throat, and is much used for that purpose, and for 
infant's sore mouth. It may also be employed in debility, and 
loss of appetite, and in all cases where golden seal and poplar 
bark are recommended. 

Golden Seal — Is a laxative and tonic, and an excellent rem- 
edy in costiveness, loss of appetite, jaundice, debility, liver com- 
plaint, and faintness at the stomach. Taken in doses of an even 
teaspoonful, it is efficacious in relieving unpleasant sensations 
occasioned by a too hearty meal. 

Golden Rod. — Is aromatic, and slightly stimulant; is used for 
quieting pains in the stomach and bowels, flatulency, and for 
scenting other medicines. It is used more for dyeing than for 
medical purposes. 

Gum Myrrh.— Astringent, antiseptic and tonic. It is useful in 
pulmonary complaints, loss of appetite, sore mouth and offens- 



390 Vegetable Materia Medica. 

ive breath. It is also useful in dysentery and diarrhoea, and to 
cleanse offensive ulcers, putrid and ill-conditioned sores. Dose 
a teaspoonful of the tincture or % teaspoonful of the powder. 

Hemlock.— The bark of the hemlock tree is astringent and ton- 
ic. Enemas composed of a strong decoction of this article may 
be used with advantage in all cases of prolapsus. A tea made of 
the boughs and leaves is excellent in case of coughs and colds. 

Hoarhound. — The root is stimulant and tonic; useful in colds, 
coughs, asthmatic affections, and in pulmonary diseases. It may 
be prepared with honey or molasses. 

Indian Turnip.— (Arum.)— This is a well known herb growing 
in the woods everywhere. The root has a pungent, burning, ac- 
rid taste, as many" an incautious youth can testify. This property 
is lost in drying. In a fresh state it is a drastic purgative, too 
violent for medicinal use. Arrow ioot and sago are produced from 
this root. In medicine it is used as a stimulant in impaired di- 
gestion, a diuretic in dropsies, and an expectorant in chest com- 
plaints. 

Ladies' Slipper. — This [is a valuable nervine, quiets nervous 
excitement, eases pain, and induces sleep. It may be used freely 
in all nervous and hysterical affections, without incurring the 
least danger, or producing unpleasant consequences. Dose — a 
teaspoonful of the powdered root may be taken three or four 
times a day, or until relief is obtained. 

Lilt, White Pond.— The root is a powerful astringent, useful 
in bowel complaints, and as a gargle for putrid and ulcerated 
sore throat. It is used as a poultice for boils and other painful 
swellings, and combined with slippery elm, it forms an excellent 
poultice for cleansing old sores, ulcers, &c. 

Lobelia.— (Inflata.)— This is a very marked flower, when its 
naming red flowers light up the forests in the late summer or early 
autumn. It grows in low, wet places,, and along streams. Its 
properties ha-fe long been known to the Indians, but Dr. Thomp- 
son, the founder of the " Thompsonian " practice of medicine, 
first brought it into general use, and established its efficacy in 
the treatment of various diseases. This herb properly adminis- 
tered will subdue diseases of long standing, that have resisted the 
power of every other remedy. It is one of the most powerful and 
effective emetics that can be given, and is of incalulable value in 
the treatment of all morbid affections of the stomach, poisoning, 
etc. There is scarcely a case arising from a morbid and bilious 
condition of the stomach and other viscera, in which an emetic 
may not be taken with great advantage to the patient as it expels 
all morbific matter, and removes all obstructions which retard 
the process of digestion. It may be administered occasionally in 
all cases of dyspepsia and indigestion, cholera morbus, diarrhoea, 
dysentery, etc. Whatever may be the patient's prejudice against 
this harmless but powerful remedy, it will be removed on taking 
one or two doses, followed with the expulsion from the stomach 
of half a pint or more of morbific or bilious matter, the speedy 
return of his appetite, and a feeling better generally, and at the 
stomach particularly. 



TT stable Materia Medica. 391 

The best method of administering it is as follows : 

Take one teaspoonful of ginger, put in a pitcher and pour on 
one quart of hot water. When a little cool, take a teacupful, 
(with sugar if you like,) and repeat every five minutes till all is 
drank up ; now put a teaspoonful of a mixture (equal parts) of 
bayberry bark and ginger into the pitcher, and pour on another 
quart oitieiling water ; let it steep a few minutes and then take 
a teaspoonful of the pulverized leaves of lobelia in a cup, which 
fill two-thirds full of the tea from the pitcher ; let it stand cov- 
ered lor five minutes, then give the patient one half of it, to be 
followed by more of the new tea. If after the lapse of five or ten 
minutes, vomiting does not ensue, give the balance of the lobelia 
and drink again of the tea till it commences, and the stomach be- 
comes thoroughly evacuated. Should the first dose produce the 
desired effect, then pour more water on the grounds in the pitch- 
er ; drink again of the tea and the remaining portion of the lo- 
belia, as in the first dose. If the bayberry and the ginger camnot 
at all times be had, use pennyroyal tea in the same manner. This 
emetic is simple and can be administered by almost any adult 
person, and in nine cases out of ten will be sufficient to com- 
pletely evacuate the stomach, while now and then a case will 
require double the quantity of lobelia. 

May Wj:ed.- Stimulant and tonic ; useful in febrile attacks, 
sudden colds, coughs, etc. It is commonly used in the form of 
tea ; induces perspiration and sometimes vomiting. • 

Marsh Rosemary. — The root is astringent and tonic, and may 
be used in all cases where these properties are required. A de- 
coction of this is an excellent remedy for canker sores, sore 
mouth, etc. 

Motherwort. — Au active nervine. It will relieve nervous 
headache. 

Mullen. — Useful in several diseases ; simmered in lard it is 
good for the piles. 

Pennyroyal. — An agreeable stimulant, and if to be had should 
always be used in giving an emetic. It promotes perspiration, 
and facilitates the operation of lobelia. It is also a valuable car- 
minative, and may be safely used in all slight attacks of disease. 

Peppermint. — A pleasant stimulant, promotes perspiration, 
and may be used in all cases of colds, pain in the stomach and 
bo vols, flatulency, headache, nausea, etc. It is most usually 
sold in the essence or the oil. 

Plantain. -Po.-ocsses active healing properties. Combined with 
lard it is good for salt rheum ; its juice will cure the bite of a 
snake. 

Poplar. — The bark is a pleasant tonic, useful in loss of appe- 
tite, indigestion, diarrhea, worms, and headache. It possesses 
diuretic properties, and may be used in strangury and all diseases 
of the urinary organs. .Dose — a teaspoonful ol the powdered bark. 

Skullcap.— This is a most valuable nervine, and anti-spasmod- 



392 Vegetable Materia Medica. 

ic. It may be used successfully in delirium tremens, fits, lock- 
jaw, St, Vitus' dance, and all nervous diseases. It is also re- 
commended in hydrophia. Dose — a teaspoonful of the powdered 
herb. 

Sage. — Frequently used as as a substitute for tea. It is useful 
in fevers as a hot drink , and frequently given to children for 
worms. 

Saffron. — Makes a valuable tea forehilldren afflicted with the 
measles, chicken pox, and all eruptive diseases. 

Sassafras. — A. well known shrub or tree. The leaves, young 
twigs and bark, are all aromatic, and slightly stimulant. The 
peculiar properties are most fully developed in the bark of the 
roots. A much esteemed flavoring extract is made from the roots. 
The leaves steeped in water make an excellent wash ior all kinds 
of humors. 

"Skunk Cabbage.— Takes its name from the disagreeable odor 
of its leaves and fruit. The root is stimulant and expectorant ; 
useful in coughs, asthma, and all pulmonary complaints. It is 
also given to children to destroy worms. 

Smart Weed. — Is a powerful stimulant, and produces free 
perspiration. It is an excellent remedy to break up a cold when 
threatened with fever. In the form of a hot tea it is a useful bath 
for swelled and stiff joints. 

Spearmint. — A Ionic and stimulant ; used to stop vomiting and 
allay nausea. Is an excellent carminative and promotes perspi- 
ration, warms and invigorates the system, and quiets pain in the 
stomach and bowels. 

Sumach —The leaves and berries (or bobs) are stimulant, as- 
tringent uud tonic, beneficial in dysentery, stranguary, and sore 
mouth ; also for washing offensive sores and ringworms. It is 
used quite extensively as'a dye-stuff, producing several shades of 
yellow and black. 

Slippery Elm. — The inner bark of this tree is the only portion 
used for medicinal purposes. It is mucilaginous and nutritious, 
and may be employed in all cases of inflammation, debility, dis- 
eases of the urinary passages, diarrhea, dysentery, pleurisy, and 
sore throat. The p'ulverized bark made into poultice is good for 
boils, and all kinds of inflamed sores. 

Sweet Flag. — {Acorus Calamus.) — A powerful medicine of tran- 
sient tonic effect, especially in case of weak digestion. In Britain 
it is principally used by perlumers in the manufacture of hair 
powders. 

Virginia Snakeroot. —{AristolocJiia Serpentaria.)— It possesses 
strong stimulant and tonic properties ; is supposed to be a reme- 
dy for the bite of a rattlesnake. It forms an important article of 
commerce, bearing a high price, being highly esteemed as a med- 
icine in certain kinds of fever. 

Unicorn. — The root is a valuable tonic, beneficial in all female 
complaints, particularly so in lucorrhea ; also in pleurisy, gene- 



Spavin Liniment. 393 

ral debility, weakness of the digestive organs, and coughs. Dose 
—from half to a teaspooniul of the powdered root. 

Valerias. -Good in all nervous complaints ; a swallow or two 
taken occasionally will produce the same effect as paregoric, and 
is every way preferable to it. 

Wixtergreen.— (Pipsissewa.)— A stimulant, diuretic, astrin- 
gent and tonic ; useful in scrofulas, tumors, cancers and kidney 
complaints. The tea is also useful as a wash for ill-eonditioned 
sores and cutaneous eruptions. 

"Witch Hazel. — The bark a,nd leaves are astringent and tonic. 
May be used in all cases of hemmorrhage, debility, and for cleans- 
ing" irritable sores. 

Wormwood.— The medicinal properties of this herb was well 
known to the ancients. It is aromatic and bitter, containing a 
bitter principle and an essential oil, both of great strength. It 
is used in medicine in various forms, as oil, extract, tincture, etc., 
as a stomachic and anthelmintic or vermifuge, and a febrifuge. 
The stems and leaves are steeped to make a strong decoction. — 
Used for strained, sprained, and stiff joints. 

Yarrow. — Is a valuable stimulant, au excellent remedy in all 
cases of female weakness, colic and intermittent fevers. A de- 
coction of the herb is uged as a wash for sores, salt rheum and 
piles. 

Spavin Liniment. 

The following recipe lias been sold for $50, and 
has never before been published. The person from 
whom we received it has tried it in several cases and 
has always found it to work like a charm. One par- 
ticular instance he tells us of. He had a large, fine 
span of horses, that were troubled with spavins and 
windgalls, so that he could not sell them for any 
price. After securing this recipe, he went to Dr. 
Starkweather's and procured the ingredients and ap- 
plied the medicine. In the course of a few weeks' 
treatment they were entirely sound, and he after- 
wards sold the span for $600. He made more than 
fifty dollars out of the recipe in a very short time. 
Our patrons get the same with a thousand others 
Q3 



394 Cure for Colic in Horses. 

for the small sum of $1.50. The following are a 
few of the evils to which horse-flesh is heir to, that 
are effectually cured by this liniment : Spavins, 
ringbones, windgalls, splints, curbs, etc. 

To 1 pint alcohol add corrosive sublimate 1 ounce, Spanish flies 
1 ounce. Apply to the parts affected at night ; in the morning, 
with a sharp-edged stick, rub or press out the pus or matter, 
and thoroughly wash the parts with soap suds ; at night make 
another application of the liniment, and continue for three or four 
days, and then skip three days ; after which, if necessary, go 
through the application as at first. Most commonly the first 
three or four applications will effect a cure. 

Cure for Colic in Horses. 

This is a not infrequent ailment in horses, and is 
so violent as a general thing, that its treatment 
should be prompt and effective. The following is an 

unfailing remedy: 

To 1 pint of water add 2 ounces of sulphuric ether. Give the 
whole at one dose. 

Convenient Rules For Measuring. &c. 

The following rules and examples will frequently 
be found convenient for farmers, stock buyers, and 
others. That for determining the weight of cattle, 
especially, will be of almost daily application. 
To Measure Wheat in the Bin. 

In measuring grain, according to the U. S. stand- 
ard, 2150 cubic inches make a bushel. As a cubic 
foot contains 1728 cubic inches, a bushel is to a 
cubic foot as 2150 to 1728 ; or as 4 to 5. There- 
fore to convert cubic feet to bushels, it is only neces- 
sary to multiply by four fifths. 

Example.— How much grain will a bin hold which is 10 feet 
long, 4 feet wide, and 4 feet deep ? 



T. Measure Cisterns and Wells. 395 

Solution,— 10X4X4— Ifip cubic feet. 160X4-5=128, the number of 
bushels. 

To Measure Grain on the Floor. 

Make the pile in form of a pyramid or cone, and multiply the 
area of the base by one third the height. To find the area of the 
base, multiply the square of its diameter by the decimal .7854. 

Example. — A conical pile of grain is 8 feet in diameter, and 4 
feet high ; bow many bushels does it contain? 

Solution;— The square of 8 is 64; and 64X. 7854X4-3— 83.776, the 
number of cubic feet ; and 83.776x4-5=67.02 bushels. 

To Measure Logs. 

To ascertain the quantity of lumber in a log, multiply the di 
arneter in inches at the small end by one-half the number of inch- 
es, and this product by the length of the log in feet, which last 
product divide by 12. 

Example. — How many feet of lumber can be made from a log 
which is 36 inches in diameter and 10 feet long ? 

Solution.— 36x18— 648 ; 64SxlO=6480 ; 6480-:-12=540. Am. 

To Measure Cisterns or Wells. 

To ascertain the capacity of a cistern or well, multiply the 
square of the diameter in inches by the decimal .7854, and this 
product by the depth in inches ; divide this product by 231, and 
the quotient will-be the contents in gallons. 

Example. — What is the capacity of a cistern which is 12 feet 
deep and 6 feet in diameter? 

Solution. — The square of 72, the diameter in inches, is 5184; — 
5184X.7S54— 4071 51 ; 4071.51x144=586297.44, the number of cubic 
inches in the cistern. There are 231 cubic inches in a gallon, 
therefore 5S0297.44-:-231=2538 gallons. To reduce the number 
of gallons to barrels, divide by 31%. 

To Ascertain the Weight of Cattle by 
Measurement, 

Multiply the girth in feet, by the distance from the bone of the 
tail immediately over the hinder part of the buttock, to the fore 
part of the shoulder blade ; and this product by 31, when the an- 
imal measures more than 7 and less than 9 feet in girth ; by 23 
when less than 7 and more than 5 ; by 16, when less than 5 , 
and more than 3 ; and by 11, when h-ss than 3. 

Example. — What is the weight of an ox whose measurments 
are as follows ; girth, 7 feet 5 inches, length, 5 feet 6 inches? 

Solution.— SixJrj^JOg ; 405x31=1264. Am. 

A deduction of 1 pound in 20 must be made for half-fattened 
cattle, also for cows that have had calves. It is understood, of 
course, that such standard will at best, give only the approximate 
weight. 



396 The Oental System, 

Cement for Earthen-ware. 

The following cement for broken earthenware is 
easily made and the materials almost always on hand. 
It dries quickly and resists the action of water, and 
a considerable degree of heat : 

To a half a pint of milk, put an equal quantity of vinegar to 
curdle it. Take only the whey, and mix 4 or 5 eggs, beating the 
whole together. When mixed, add sifted quicklime until it ac- 
quires the consistence of a thick paste. 

A Convenient Syrup. 

A pure syrup that will not granulate, for various 
purposes — for soda and other summer drinks, may 

be made as follows : 

Dissolve 20 pounds best coffee sugar in 1 gallon of water, by 
putting over the fire and heating, skimming off all impurities if 
any, that rise to the top. When cold, put in a keg or jug, and 
keep corked for use as wanted. 

e Cental System. 

This is anew system of measuring grain that is 
fast being adopted in all the larger towns and cities 
of the United States, in which the cental, or 100 
lbs. takes the place of the bushel. The new system 
grow;:- in favor fast, and it will be but a few years 
before the bushel, as a measure of grain will be no 
longer hoard of. But the substitution of the new sys- 
tem for the old, will for some time, create more or less 
confusion, and occasion more or less perplexity. 
Torelie- , crplexity as much as possible, we 

publish the following tables, showing, with wheat or 
other grain at a certain price per bushel, what will 
be the price per cental at the same rate. This will 
be convenient foi reference for some time to come: 



The Cental System. 



397 







V.'JIBAT. 






Per 


Per i 


Per 


Per 1 


Per 


Per 


Bushel 


Cental 


Bushel 


Cental | 


Bushel 


Cental 


$ 40... 


■ $ 66% 


1.04... 


• 1-73^ 


1.68... 


. 2.80 


4-1... 


70 


LOG... 


. 1.76% 


1.70... 




44... 




1.08... 


. 1.80 


1.72... 




46... 


T6 % 


1.10,.. 


• 1-83J4 


1.74... 


. 2.90 


■48... 


.. 80 


i.l2... 


. 1.86% 


1.76... 


• 2.9314 


50... 


• 83 y 3 


1,14... 


. 1.VT 


1.78... 


. 2.96% 


52... 


86% 


1.16... 


• l-»3% 


1.80... 


. 3.0(i 


51... 


.. 90 


1.18 .. 


. 1.96% 


1.82... 


- 3.08% 


50... 


. . 93u 


1.20... 


. 2.00' 


i:84... 


. 3.06% 


58... 


• • 96% 


1.22... 


. 2.0314 


1.86.. 


. 3.10 


60... 


. 1.00 


1.24... 


• 2.06% 


1.88... 


. 8.13% 


6-2... 


. 1.0314 


1.26... 


. 2.10 


1.90... 


. 3.16% 


CI... 


.. 1.06% 


1.28... 


- 2.13i/ 2 


1.92... 


. 3.20 


66... 


.. l.io 


4.30... 


• 2.16% 


1.94... 


. 3.23% 


63... 


. 1.13% 


132... 


. 2.20 


1.96..; 


• 3.26% 


70... 


-. 1.16% 


1.34... 


. 2.2814 


1.98... 


.3.30 


72... 


.. 1.20 


1.38... 


. 2.26 a' 


2.00... 


7-3.33 1-3 


74... 


.. 1.2 


1.38... 


. 2.30 


2.<2... 


..3.36 2-3 


76... 


. . 1 .26% 


1.40... 


.. 2.3314 


2.04... 


. 3.40 


78... 


.. 1.30 


1.42... 


. 2.36% 


2.06... 


..3.43 1-3 


80... 


.. 1.33*1 


1.44... 


. 2.4U 


2.08... 


..3.46 2-3 


88... 


.. 1.WJS 


1.46... 


.. 2.4314 


2.10... 


.3.50 


84... 


.. 1.40 


1.48... 


. 2.46% 


2.12... 


. .3.53 1-3 


86;.. 


.. 1.43% 


1.5C... 


. 2.50 


2.14... 


..3.56 2-3 


8S... 


.. 1.46% 


1.52 .. 


. . 2.5314 


2.16... 


. .3.60 


90... 


.. 1.50 


1.54... 


.. 2.56I3 


2.18... 


..3.63 1-3 


92... 


. . 1.53% 


1.56... 


. . 2.60 


2.20... 


..3.66 2-3 


'.I!... 


.. 1.56% 


1.58... 


.. 2.63% 


2.22 . . . 


..3.70 


96... 


.. 1.60 


1.60... 




2.24... 


..3.73 1-3 


98... 


.. 1.63\; 


1.62... 


.. 2.70 


2.24... 


..3.76 2-3 


1.00... 


.. 1.66% 


1.64... 


• ■ 2.7314 


2.28... 




1.02... 


.. 1.70 


1.66... 


. . 2.76% 


2.30... 


. .3.83 1-3 








COR2I AND EYE. 






Per 


Per 


Per 


Per 




Per 


Bristoel 


Cental 


Bu«hel 


Cental 




Cent,"} 


$ 20... 


.$ 35 5-7 


56... 


1,00 


92... 


. I! 64 2-7 


22... 


. 39 2-7 


58... 


. 1.03 4-7 




1.67 6-7 


24... 


1 6-7 


60... 


1,07 1-7 




1 71 3-7 


26... 


. 46 3-7 


1.2... 


1.10 5-7 




1.75 


2S... 


5.1 


64... 


. 1,14 2-7 


1,00 . . . 


. 1,78 4-7 


30... 


53 4-7 


■ 66 . . . 


. 1,1*3 : 


1,02 . 


. 1.82 1 7 




1-7 


68 . . . 


. 1,21 3-7 




. 1 ,85 5-7 


34 . . . 


1 5-7 


<<... 


1 ,2 




1,891-7 


36... 


64 2-7 


7': 


1,28 4-7 


1,08... 


. 1,92 6-7 




67 6-7 


74... 


1.32 1-7 


1.10... 




40... 


71 3-7 


76... 


5-7 


1,12... 


. 


42. . 


1 5 




. 1,39 2-7 


1,14... 




44. . 


. 78 5-7 




. 1,42 6-7 


1.16... 


. 2,07 1-7 


46.. 


. 82 1-7 


82... 


. 1,46 3-7 


1,18... 


. 2,10 3.7 


48.. 


. 85 5-7 . 


84... 


. 1.50 


1,20... 


. 2,14 2-7 


50.. 


. 89 2-7 


• 86... 


. 1.53 i-7 


1,22... 


. 2,16 6-7 


52.. 


. 6-7 


SS... 


. 1.57 1-7 






5-1.. 


. 96 3-7 


90... 


. 1,60 5-7 







398 



Th e Cental System. 



Per 


Per 


Per 


Per 


Per 


Per 


Bushel 


Cental 


Bushel 


Cental 


Bushel 


Cental 


$ 40.. 


.$ 83 1-3 


72... 


1,50 


1,04... 


. 2,16 2-3 


42 .. 


. 87 1-2 


74 .. 


. 1.54 1-6 


1,06... 


. 2,20 5-6 


44... 


. 91 2-3 


76... 


. 1,561-3 


1,08... 


. 2,25 


46... 


. 95 5-6 


78... 


. 1,02 1-2 


1,10... 


. 2,29 1-6 


48... 


. 1,00 


80... 


. 1,66 2-3 


1.12... 


. 2.33 1-3 


50.. 


. 1.04 2-6 


82... 


. 1,70 5-6 


1.14 .. 


. 2,37 1-2 


52... 


. 1.08 1-3 


84.. 


. 1.75 


1/16... 


. 2.412-3 


54... 


. 1.12 1-2 


86.. 


. 1,79 1-6 


1.18... 


. 2.45 5-6 


56... 


. 1,16 2-3 


88... 


. 1,83 1-3 


1,2G... 


. 2.50 


58... 


. 1,20 5 6 


90 . 


. 1,871-2 


1.22 ... 


. 2,541-6 


60 .. 


. 1.25 


92... 


. 1,912-3 


1,24... 


. 2,581-3 


62... 


. 1,29 1-6 


94... 


. 1,95 5-6 


1.26... 


. 2,62 1-2 


64... 


. 1.33 1-3 


96.. 


. 2,00 


1.28... 


. 2.66 2-3 


60... 


. 1,37 1-2 


98... 


. 2.04 1-6 


1,30... 


. 2,70 5-6 


68... 


1,412-3 


1,00 . 


. 2.08 1-3 






70... 


. 1,45 5-6 


1,02... 


. 2,12 1-2 








OATS. 


Per 


Per 


Per 


Per 


Per 


Per 


Bushel. 


Cental. 


Bushel. 


Cental. 


Bushel. 


Cental. 


$ 20... 


.$ 57 1-7 


47... 


. 1.34 2 7 


74... 


2,11 3-7 


21... 


. 60 


48... 


1,37 1-7 


75... 


2,14 2-7 


22... 


. 68 6-7 


49... 


. 1,40 


i ; ~> . . . 


2,17 1-7 


23... 


. 65 5-7 


50... 


1,42 6-7 


77... 


2,20 


24... 


63 4-7 


51... 


1,45 5-7 


78... 


2.22 6-7 


25... 


. 71 3-7 


52 . . . 


1,48 4-7 


7'.)... 


2,25 5-7 


26.. 


74 2-7 


53... 


1.51 3-7 


80.... 


2.28 4-7 


27... 


. 77 1-7 


54... 


1,54 2-7 


81.... 


2,31 3-7 


28... 


. 80 


55... 


1.57 1-7 


82.... 


2,34 1-7 


29... 


. 82 6-7 


56... 


1,60 


83.... 


2,37 1-7 


30... 


85 5-7 


57... 


1,62 6-7 


84.... 


2,40 


31... 


. 83 4-7 


58... 


1,65 5-7 


" 85 ... 


2,42 6-7 


32... 


91 3-7 


59... 


1,68 4-7 


86.... 


2,45 5-7 


33... 


94 2-7 


60... 


1,71 3-7 


87.... 


2,48 4-7 


34... 


. 97 1-7 


61... 


1,74 2-7 


88.... 


2.51 3-7 


85... 


. 1,0'. » 


62... 


1.77 1-7 


89.... 


2,54 2-7 


36... 


. 1,02 6-7 


63... 


1.80 


90.... 


2,57 1-7 


37... 


1,05 5-7 


64... 


1.S2 3-7 


91.... 


2,60 


38... 


. 1,08 4-7 


65... 


1,85 5-7 


92 ... 


2,62 6-7 


39... 


. 1,11 3-7 


66... 


1,88 4-7 


93. . 


2,65 5-7 


ae... 


. 1,14 2-7 


67... 


1,91 3-7 


94.... 


2,68 4-7 


41... 


. 1,17 1-7 


68... 


1,94 2-7 


95... 


2,71 3-7 


42... 


. 1.20 


69... 


i, 97 1-7 


96.... 


2.74 2-7 


4i... 


. 1,22 6-7 


70... 


2,00 


97.... 


2,77 1-7 


44... 


. 1.25 5-7 


71... 


2.02 6-7 


98 ... 


2,826-7 


45... 


. 1,28 4-7 


72... 


2.05 5-7 


99.... 


2,85 5-7 


46... 


. 1,313-7 


73... 


2,08 4-7 


1,00.... 


2,95 5-7 


Weights of grain pei 


bushel are estimate 


:d in the foregoing 


ble : 




as. 






B>8. 


Wheat . 




..60 


1 Barley 




48 


Corn . . 




..56 
..56 


Oats . 




35 


Rye ... 







Good Samaritan Pain Killer. 399 

Convulsions— Their Treatment. 

This is a form of disease that very frequently af- 
fects infants, in which the body is thrown into vio- 
lent contractions, the sensibility and voluntary mo- 
tion being for a time suspended. Convulsions or 
fits may last for a few minutes or even hours, and 
may readily prove fatal if not relieved within a short 
period. The first symptom observed is often a 
twitching of particular muscles, and a change in the 
habitual expression or color of the face, with distor- 
tion of the features, and turning of the globes of the 
eyes suddenly upwards. Their cause is usually to 
be found in some source of irritation, capable of pro- 
ducing fever if long continued ; as for instance, dis- 
ordered dentition, worms in the intestines, hooping- 
cough, etc. 

When a child is suddenly siezed with convulsions, or with a 
tendency to spasm, such as twitching- of the features or contrac- 
tions of the fingers and toes, it should he placed at once in a free 
current of air, with its feet towards the fire. The extremities 
should be kept warm, a cold lotion may be applied to the head, 
especially if there is much flushing of the face ; a little castor oil 
may be given if the bowels are confined ; and if there is flatulence 
the belly may be rubbed with a warm hand, or with some simple 
stimulating liniment, as camphorated oil. Not much more can 
be done without medical assistance. But in the event of the 
case being very serious, and medical aid at a great distance it 
might be right to cause tbe child to inhale a little chloroform, 
great care being taken that plenty of air is also admitted into the 
lungs. 

Good Samaritan Pain Killer. 

The following is said to be the genuine Perry Da- 
vis* Pain Killer, but for that we cannot vouch ; but 
for one thing we can vouch, and that is the fact, if 



400 Genuine Healing Balsam. 

it is not, it is as good as that celebrated medicine: 

To 1 pint best alcohol add gum arabic % ounce, gum myrrh, 
gum camphor and pulverized cayenne pepper, each % ounce.— 
Agitate occasionally for 6 to 10 days, then let it settle and it is 
ready for use. Apply freely to the parts affected, bathing it in 
well with the hand. Or, if necessary, take it inwardly, until re- 
lieved. Dose, 1 teaspoonful, repeated according to the necessi- 
ties of the case. 

Genuine Healing Balsam. 

The following is a valuable preparation for 
coughs, internal pains or strains, : also for acute or 
chronic affection of the kidneys. It may be safely 
given to children in doses of 1 to 5 drops, on a littk 
sugar, according to the age, or the ability of the 
stomach to bear it. Dose for an adult, 8 to 12 drops 
according to the necessities of the case. 

Melt IX pounds clear, pale rosiu, and add 1 pint spirits tur- 
pentine, then add 2 ounces strained honey, 2 ounces balsam of 
fir/and^ ounce each of Venice turpentine, oil of hemlock, and 
.oil of origanum. Mix the whole thoroughly, and keep in a well- 
corked bot I.'. 

Nonpareil Sticking Plaster. 

This is an article that should be kept in every 
household, as it is in frequtnt demand. Make 
your own after the following directions and you will 
never buy another : 

To 6 spoonfuls of isinglass melted in a very little water, add 2 
spoonfuls balsam of Peru, and strain. Mix well in a small stone 
jar over the lire. Pin out some black Persian or Sarsanet on a 
board, and dipping a brush into the mixture, pass it oyer the 
silk live or six times ; then hold it to the lire, but not very near, 
and it will soon be black and shining. 

Lip Salve. 

The folio wing will be found an excellent remedy 
for cracked lips : 
Steep a small quantity of alkanet root in 8 ounces of oliye oil, 



Blackberry Cordial. 401 

strain it and add 20 drops of otto ; then melt together 4 ounces 
prepared mutton suet, \% ounces Avhite wax, and 2 ounces sper- 
maceti; when fairly melted, add the oil as prepared. 

Blackberry Cordial. 

In blackberry time prepare the following wine 
eordial as a delightful beverage, and an infallible 
remedy for diarrhoea : 

To X bushel of blackberries, well mashed, add 4 ounces all- 
spice, 2 ounces cinnamon, 2 ounces cloves; pulverize well, mix 
and boil slowly until properly done; then strain or squeeze the 
juice through homespun or flannel, and add to each pint of the 
juice 1 pound of loaf sugar; boil again for some time, take it oft' 
and while cooling add half a gallon of good Cognac brandy. — 
Dose for an adult, half a gill; for a child a teaspoonful according 
to age. 

Hair Wash. 

The following simple preparation is given to us 
by one who has used it for years, as being the best 
wash for the head in use. 

To 1 quart boiling water, add 1 ounce powdered borax and J£ 
ounce gum camphor, powdered. Shake well and when cool, pour 
into a bottle for use. Clean the head with this thoroughly once 
a week, applying it with a sponge or a flannel cloth. 

For Burns and Scalds. 

We have already, (page 221) given several reme- 
dies for burns, but as this is convenient, the mate- 
rials being almost always at hand, we give it a place 
here : 

Take equal parts of olive oil and lime water, (page 302,) which 
when well mixed together, forms a beautiful white ointment, 
that may be spread with a feather upon the partsj affected, and 
a thin rag laid upon it. Two or three dressings will generally 
take out all the fire, after which apply a little healing ointment. 

Families should always have this remedy by them 
ready for use. If applied immediately after the ac- 
cident, it gives instant relief. 



40 2 Toothache Baham. 

Wash Balls. 

The following, formed into round balls, makes a 
pleasant and efficient toilet soap : 

Take white soap 7 pounds, peariash 6 ounces, orris powder 8 
ounces, bergamot 1 ounce, oil of lavender, % ounce, cassia oil, 
X ounce, oil of cloves, 1 drachm, caraway, % drachm. Mix with 
water to a paste, and finish in balls. 

Antiseptic Tooth Powder. 

A tooth powder made as follows is an active pre- 
servative and preventive of decay, and if used regu- 
larly will be as good as an insurance policy against 
toothache : 

Mix well precipitated chalk, 1 ounce; bun; alum, 2 drams;— 
Armenian bole, 2 drams; oil of cloves, 12 dropsi Keep in a well 
stoppered bottle. 

Tooth Paste. 

The following is an excellent paste for cleaning 
the teeth, and to cause the gums to grow close to the 
enamel : 

Mix thoroughly together powdered myrrh, 1 ounce; powdered 
sage, 2 drachms; best honey 2 ounces. Rub the teeth and gums 
with the paste night and morning. 

Toothache Balsam. 

There are few people, old or young, who have not 
felt the inconvenience of an aching tooth, or who do 
not know from experience the blessedness of relief 
from the racking pain, and can therefore appreciate 
the value of a medicine that can always be relied on 
for instant relief. The application of the following 
balsam gives ease to all manner of pains in the teeth, 
proceeding fr.om whatever cause. For decayed teeth 
a piece of cotton wool should be saturated with the 



Japanese dement. 403 

balsam and inserted into the hollow part. If the 
teeth ache generally, the gums should be rubbed 
with a little ©f the balsa m till relieved : 

Take esssential oil of origanum, 1 drachm; essential oil of elovesi 

1 drachm; tincture of henbane, >2 drachm; sweet spirits of nitre, 

2 drachms; tincture of opium, 2 drachms; white wax, ^ ounce . 
Melt the white wax, and while in a liquid state, add the other in- 
gredients, previously mixed, and stir all together until thorough- 
ly incorporated. 

To Make Paper Fire Proof. 

Paper may be made fire-proof by dipping it in a strong solution 
of alum watec. When thoroughly dry it will resist the action of 
flame. Some paper requires to imbibe more of the solution than 
it will take up at a single immersion, and when this is the case, 
tbe process must be repeated until it becomes thoroughly satu- 
rated. 

Substitute for a Copying Machine. 

In the common iuk used, dissolve lump sugar (1 dram to 1 ounce 
of ink). Moisten the copying paper, and then put it in soft or un- 
sized paper (newspaper) to absorb the superfluous moisture. Put 
the moistened paper on the writing ; place both between some 
soft paper, and roll upon a ruler three or four times. 

Japanese Cement. 

This is a beautiful, white cement, that dries almost 
transparent. There are many uses to which it may 
be put, but it is especially adapted to the making of 
curious paper articles, as tea-trays, card baskets, 
ladies' dressing boxes, and other articles that re- 
quire layers of paper to be cemented together. 

Mix rice flour intimately with cold water, and gently boil it 
until it is of the proper consistency. Papers pasted together 
with this, will sooner separate in their own substance than'at the 
joining. 

Saponaceous Ci earn of Almonds - 

This preparation has been extensively sold as a 
shaving soap, and has justly been held in high es- 
teem by barbers and those who do their own shav- 



404 Coffee Syrup. 

ing. Barbers will find the recipe worth many times 
the cost of the book, in the saving of soap and the 
increased satisfaction of their customers ; 

Melt 7 pounds clarified lard in a porcelain vessel by a salt wa- 
ter bath ; then run in very slowly, stirring all the time, 3% pounds 
potash lye, (containing 26 perjcent of caustic potash ; when about 
half the lye is in, the mixture begins to curdle, and will by the 
time it is all in be so firm that it cannot be stirred. Then take 3 
ounces rectified spirits and add to it 2 drams otto of almonds. — 
Triturate the cream in a mortar and gradually add the perfumed 
alcohol, when the cream will assume the beautiful, pearly ap- 
pearance that has made it so popular. 

To Make Fire Kindlers. 

Kindling fires is no small portion of the work of 

housekeeping. Kindling made after the following 

recipe will save much trouble, vexation and time, 

as well as expense. It is easily ignited from a 

match, and burns with a strong blaze long enough 

to start any wood fit to burn. If thrown on the 

t op of a grate full of coal, they will kindle a fire in a 

very short time : 

Take a quart of tar and 3 pounds of rosin ; melt them, bring to 
a cooling temperature, mix with as much saw-dust, with a little 
charcoal added, as can be worked in ; spread out while hot on a 
board ; when cold, break up into lumps of the size of a large 
hickory nut and you have at a small expense, kindling material 
enough for a household one year. 

Coifee Syrup. 

This is a confection exceedingly handy for trav- 
elers on a journey, when they expect to be out of 
the range of the facilities of first class hotels. It is 
always ready: 

Take ^ pound of best ground, roasted coffee ; boil it in a sauce- 
pan containing 3 quarts of water, until the quantity is reduced to 
1 quart ; then strain it off, and when freed from all impurities, 
pour the liquor into a clean sauce pan and let it boil again adding 
as much Lisbon sugar as will make it a thick syrup, like treacle; 



Oyster Omelet. 405 

remove it from the fire and when cold pour it into bottles, cork- 
ing them downright, and it is ready for use. 2 teaspoonfuls of 
the syrup introduced into a moderate sized teacup, and tilled up 
with boiling water, will be fit for immediate use. If milk is at 
hand, add to taste. 

Oyster Omelet. 

The following will be found a rich and palatable 
dish: 

For every 6 large or 12 small oysters, 1 egg. Remove the hard 
part of the oyster and mince the remainder fine. Take all the 
yolks of the eggs and half the whites; beat till very light, then 
mix in the oysters with a little pepper and beat all up thorough- 
ly; put a gill of butter into the frying pan and when fairly melt- 
ed, pour in the omelet and stir until it begins to thicken; fry it to 
a light brown and take out carefully on to a hot plate. Don't 
fold it over as that will make it heavy. 

Mint Sauce. 

This sauce is seldom used but with roast lamb ; 
some people think they cannot eat roast lamb with- 
out it : 

Pick, wash and chop fine some green spearmint ; to 2 table - 
spoonfuls of the minced leaves put 8 of vinegar, adding a little 
brown sugar. Serve cold in a sauce tureen. 

Tongue Toa3t. 

Try the following if you want a delicate and de- 
licious toast for breakfast : 

Take a cold smoked tongue that has been well boiled, and 
mince it line. Mix it with cream and yolk of egg beaten, and 
give it a simmer over the fire. Toast very nicely some slices of 
bread, butter them slightly, and lay them in a deep dish heated 
before the fire ; cover each slice of the toast thickly with the 
tongue mixture, spread on hot. Send to the table covered. 

To Fry Oysters. 

One of the best ways that oysters can be cooked, 
is to fry them. The following is the way to do it : 

Beat up 2 or 3 eggs in a cup, and rasp bread crumbs on a plate 
with sweet herbs powdered, and lemon peel. Dry the oysters as 
much as possible, souse them in the egg and cover them with 
crumbs. Fry them in plenty of good butter. 



406 Blanc Mange. 

Blanc Mange. 

This is one of the most delicate preparations ev- 
er brought upon the table, and everybody should 
have the process of making it convenient for refer- 
ence. As a dessert or fancy dish it is preferred by 
many to ice cream : 

To 1 ounce isinglass add % pint of new milk ; let it soak five 
minutes; boil 2 or 3 laurel leaves (or some other flavoring mate- 
rial) in a pint of cream and % P m t of milk ; when boiling, pour 
it over the soaked isinglass, and stir till dissolved ; add 4 or 5 
ounces of loaf sugar, and a little brandy if approved ; strain 
through muslin; stir occasionally till it thickens, then put into 
moulds. Eat with sweetened cream. 

Grape Preserves. 

The following is one of the most delicious pre- 
serves in the whole category of sweetmeats : 

Take fine sound Isabella or Concord grapes ; squeeze each 
grape between the thumb and finger, so as to remove the pulp; — 
put these into one dish, and the skins into another; then place 
the pulps thus separated into the preserving kettle, and scald 
them; as soon as they melt, strain them through a fine cullender 
sieve in order to separate the seeds ; place the liquid thus ob- 
tained, together with the skins, and a pound of sugar to each 
pound of fruit, in the kettle and boil 20 minutes. 

• 

Boston Cream Cakes. 

These form a delicious and much sought after 
dainty, which you should know how to prepare, 
when occasion requires : 

For the crust— take 1 pound of flour, % pound butter, 1 pint of 
warm water, 10 eggs; boil the water and butter together; stir in 
the flour while it is boiling; when cold, add the eggs well beaten 
and then the flour. For the custard take 1 quart of milk, 4 egg*, 
2 cups of sugar, and 1 cup of flour; boil the milk, and while it is 
boiling add the sugar, eggs, and flour., and flavor with lemon.— 
Drop the crust on tins, and bake them in a quick oven 15 or 20 
minutes; when done, open them at the sides, and put in as much 
custard as possible. It improves the appearance of the crust to 
ii ) io ovtr with, thi white ot'au eg^ before it is baked . 



To Fry Egg Plant. 407 

Indian Meal G-ruel. 

Strange as it may seem, there are many good 
housekeepers who when ordered to make a little wa- 
ter gruel for a sick person, have to eonfess that they 
do not know how. For the benefit of such we give 
the following : 

Sift Indian meal through a fine sieve; wet 2 spoonfuls of this 
meal with cold water, and beat it till there are no lumps ; then 
stir it into 1% pints of boiling water, and let it boil half an hour, 
stirring it all the time. Season to taste, 

To Fry Egg Plant. 

We have given one way of cooking this delicious 
vegetable fruit (on page 353), but another way will 
not be out of place : 

Cut the egg plant into slices % inch thick; let it lie for several 
hours in salted water to remove the bitter taste. Heat a small 
quantity of butter; when very hot, put in the slices; turn them 
when one side is done. Let them cook thoroughly. 

Irish Stew. 

Take a piece of loin or back-ribs of mutton, and cut it into 
chops. Put it in a stew pan with pared raw potatoes, sliced on- 
ions to taste, pepper, suet, and a little water. Put this on to 
stew slowly for an hour, covered ven r close, and shake it occa- 
sionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. 

To Cure Chapped Hands and Faces. 

The following cheap and convenient process will 
ensure you against chapped hands or face, and pro- 
tect the skin against the worst winds : 

Pat three to six drops of glycerine into the water before wash- 
ing the hands, or drop one drop in the palm of the hand after 
washing off the soap and dirt, rub all over the nands and wrists, 
then dry them thoroughly. 

To Make the Hands White. 

Many people are anxious to preserve their hands 
soft, white and smooth. An imperative pre-requi~ 



408 Liquid Bloom of Koses. 

site to this is to have the hands thoroughly washed. 
Wash in warm water with fine soap and dry careful- 
ly with a moderately coarse towel, rubbing well to 
insure a brisk circulation, than which nothing can 
be more effectual in promoting a transparent and 
soft appearance. Almond paste made as follows, 
helps to preserve the delicay of the hands : 

Blanch and beat up 4 ounces of bitter almonds ; add to them 3 
ounces lemon juice, 3 ounces almond oil, and a little weak spirits 
of wine. Rub the hands with it on retiring. Or take 2 ounces 
sweet almonds, beat with 2 drams of white wax and 3 drams of 
spermaceti ; put up carefully in rose water. 

Razor Paste. 

The following is the best paste for a razor strop 
ever yet tried : 

Emery, reduced to an impalpable powder, 2 parts ; spermaceti 
ointment lpart. Mix together and rub it over the strop. 

Liquid Bloom of Roses. 

Put 30 grains of crimson lake in powder, into a bottle ; thcr 
add of strong solution of ammoniac 30 drops, esprit de rose, 3* 
ounce, rose water 1% onuces, and otto of roses 2 drops, 

To Make Grease Balls. 

The following preparation for extracting grease 
from clothing, will be found convenient and effectual: 

Shave down % pound of white soap and mix with 3 ounces Oi 
fuller's earth powdered. Then mix 3 ounces of ox-gall and ! 
ounces of spirits of turpentine. With this moisten the soap an 
fuller's earth, till you have a stiff paste. Mix it thoroughly an- 
beat it well. Make it into balls with your hands, and place th 
balls where they will dry sloAvly. To use it, scrape down a suf- 
ficiency and spread it on the grease-spot. Let it rest awhile, then 
brush it off and scrape and apply some more. A few applications 
will generally remove the grease. 

Treatment of Sunstroke. 

In cases of coup de soliel, or sunstroke, which occurs more or 
less frequently every summer in city and country, the proper way 
is to pour cold water over the head, until relief is obtainad. 



